BIG: ICMR confirms India in final stage of framing protocol for Covid plasma therapy trial

India is in final sts of framing a protocol for conducting a clinical trial for convalescent plasma rapy, which uses antibodies from blood of cured patients, to treat severely-ill COVID-19 patients, a senior ICMR official said.

Kerala is set to become first state in country to commence rapy to treat that critically-ill on a trial basis. ICMR is learnt to have given its d to state government for first of its kind project, initiated by prestigious Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Techlogy (SCTIMST), a top official h said.

ICMR official on Thursday said y would need approval from Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) before embarking on any clinical trial using rapy. He said that it is t currently used or prescribed for patients in India. 

"We are in final sts of making a protocol for convalescent plasma rapy and after that, we will need approval from DCGI. As of w, it will be used only in clinical trials," he said, ding that rapy was successful in limited clinical trials in some countries on patients who were in a severe condition or on ventilator support.

death toll due to vel coronavirus rose to 199 and number of cases climbed to 6,640 in country on Friday, according to Union Health Ministry.

However, a PTI tally of figures reported by various states as on Thursday late evening showed at least 6624 cases and 227 deaths.

re has been a difference in Union Health Ministry figures compared to number of cases anunced by different states which officials attribute to procedural delays in assigning cases to individual states.