Human clinical trials for a vaccine for COVID-19 has been initiated in India with approximately 1,000 volunteers participating in the exercise for each of the two indigenously developed vaccine candidates, the ICMR said on Wednesday.
Since India is one of the largest vaccine producers in the world, it is the country’s “moral responsibility” to fast-track vaccine development process to break the chain of coronavirus transmission, ICMR Director General Dr Balram Bhargava said referring to the two vaccine candidates developed indigenously.
The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has permitted two vaccines — one developed by Bharat Biotech International Limited in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research and another one by Zydas Cadila Healthcare Ltd to go in for the first and second phase of human clinical trials.
There are two Indian vaccine candidates that have undergone successful toxicity studies in rats, mice and rabbits and these data was submitted to the DCGI, following which both got clearance to start an early phase human trials earlier this month, Bhargava said at a press briefing.
