Clinical trials of Covaxin to start at Bhubaneswar from July 22

Bhubaneswar: Human clinical trials of India’s indigenously developed coronavirus vaccine, Covaxin, is set to begin from tomorrow (22 July) a Bhubaneswar-based institute.

The human trials of BBV152 Covid Vaccine or Covaxin will begin on Wednesday in a special laboratory set up at the Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM (IMS & SUM) Hospital, in accordance with the protocols laid down by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI).

The special laboratory — Preventive and Therapeutic Clinical Trial Unit (PTCTU) — was inaugurated at the institute on Monday by its dean Gangadhar Sahoo.

PTCTU would focus on clinical trials involving preventive and therapeutic aspects such as vaccines, immunoglobulins, preventive practices, chemoprophylactic drugs, educational/behavioural interventions and interventional agents or drugs.

This is the first indigenous vaccine developed by India against COVID-19 and is derived from a strain of SARS- CoV-2 isolated by ICMR-National Institute of Virology, Pune.

ICMR and Bharat Biotech are jointly working for the preclinical as well as clinical development of this vaccine. It has already received the approval for phase one and two by the DCGI.