New Delhi (NVI): An indigenous COVID-19 vaccine candidate COVAXIN, first to be developed in India, has received the approval by Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for phase I and II of human clinical trials.
The drug has been developed by Bharat Biotech. Human clinical trials of vaccine are scheduled to start across the country in July.
It has been developed in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of Virology (NIV). The SARS-CoV-2 strain was isolated in NIV, Pune and transferred to Bharat Biotech.
The indigenous, inactivated vaccine has been developed and manufactured by Bharat Biotechs, BSL-3 (Bio-Safety Level 3) high containment facility located in the Genome Valley, in Hyderabad.
Clinical trials under Phase I and Phase II of the vaccine for SARS-CoV-2, approved after pre-clinical studies demonstrated safety and immune response would start across the country next month.
Apart from Bharat Biotech, many other Indian firms are also working to make a vaccine that has had a disastrous impact across the world affecting health and wealth of millions of people.
Meanwhile, a number of drug manufacturers across the world are also working to find a cure for coronavirus, but no pharmaceutical firm has won the race yet.
-RJV
