COVID-19: NIH and DBT to meet this week; review on vaccine candidates likely

As a part of a joint vaccine development programme to review progress on vaccine candidate for COVID 19, experts from National Institute of Health (NIH), and India's department of biotechlogy will meet this week.

Indo-U.S. Vaccine Action Program (VAP) is a bilateral program, which supports a bro spectrum of activities relating to immunization and vaccine-related research. program was designed to encompass laboratory-based research, epidemiological studies, field trials, vaccine quality control, and delivery of vaccines. 

India’s vaccine development programme is led by department of biotechlogy which has funded five Indian companies for ir work on reying a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2.

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ICMR aims to launch vaccine by August 15

Meanwhile, medical research body aims to launch vaccine for public use by August 15, 2020 after completing all clinical trials. BBIL is working efficiently to meet target, however, final outcome depends on cooperation of all clinical trial sites involved in this project, ICMR said.

In view of public health emergency due to Coronavirus pandemic, selected institutes are strictly vised to fast track trial process and ensure that subject enrolment begins in first week of July.

Apart from Odisha, institutes selected for clinical trial are located in Visakhapatnam, Rohtak (Haryana), New Delhi, Patna, Belgaum (Karnataka), Nagpur (Maharashtra), Gorakhpur, Kanpur (UP), Kattankulathur (Tamil Nu), Hyderab, Arya Nagar and Goa.

Speaking to Republic, Bharat Biotech's MD h spoken about difficulty in getting equate number of people to sign up for Clinical trial, though since n, ICMR appears to have stepped in and expanded scope significantly. stakes are high both health-wise and ecomically to release first Covid vaccine. t only are many countries in race, but since India is one of largest producers of vaccines globally, if an Indian vaccine was to be licensed, scope for exports would be a game-changer.

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