Pune hospital to resume Oxford-Serum vaccine 'COVISHIELD' Phase-3 trials next week

After receiving Drug Controller General of India (DCGI)'s d, Pune hospitals are set to resume Phase-3 trials of 'Covishield' vaccine manufactured by Serum Institute of India (SII) next week. Dean of state-run Sassoon General Hospital Dr Muralidhar Tambe said to PTI that around 150-200 volunteers will be ministered with a vaccine dose. trials were briefly paused when a volunteer in UK developed an ‘unexplained illness' during trials.

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Covishield's phase-3 trials resume

" phase-III trial of 'Covishield' vaccine will begin at Sassoon hospital from next week. It is likely to start on Monday. Some volunteers have alrey come forward for trial. Around 150 to 200 volunteers will be ministered vaccine candidate dose," he said ding, "From Saturday, hospital started enrolling volunteers for trial. Those who are willing to volunteer for vaccination should contact hospital." Under phase-II, trials were conducted at Bharti Vidyapeeth Medical College and also KEM Hospital in city.

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DCGI allows Serum to resume trials

On September 10,  SII - world's third-largest vaccine manufacturer, confirmed that India trials of 'Covishield' have been paused till ir UK partner AstraZeneca resumes trials. SII - which is conducting Phase-2 & 3 trials of 'Covishield' in 19 locations across India, was questioned by DCGI as to why y were continuing trials inspite of ir UK trials paused as a volunteer developed an ‘unexplained illness’. As Oxford began its trials in UK after a safety review, DCGI allowed Serum to resume its trials in India.  SII's 'Covishield' is one of three leing COVID-19 vaccine candidates currently under trial in India.     

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SII's clinical trials consist of 1,600 participants, all eir being more than 18 years of or equal to it. Apart from Pune's Bharti Vidyapeeth, B J Medical College Hospital in Pune, AIIMS Delhi, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences in Patna, Post Gruate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, Nehru Hospital in Gorakhpur and Andhra Medical College in Visakhapatnam have been shortlisted to hold trials. SII is in talks with Centre for mass production, vowing to cap its vaccine price at  Rs 225/dose. 'Covishield' contains replication-deficient simian evirus vector ChOx1 containing structural surface glycoprotein (spike protein) antigens of SARS-CoV-2.

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