There are around 141 applicants who are being studied around the world, the head of ICMR said.
New Delhi:
Phase 1 human clinical trials of two COVID-19 vaccine candidates developed locally by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with ICMR and Zydus Cadila Ltd have been completed and trials have moved to phase 2, the chief executive of the company said on Tuesday. ‘ICMR Balram Bhargava.
During a press briefing, he said that once a safe and effective vaccine is developed, the focus should be on prioritization and its equitable distribution, cold chain deployment and logistics, storage and training of the people who would administer the vaccine.
There are around 141 candidates that are being studied around the world and 26 are in different phases of clinical trials, he said.
“Right now there are three vaccines that are in different stages of clinical trials in India. The first is the inactivated virus vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech which has completed its Phase 1 study at 11 sites and has started its Phase 2 study. Phases 1 and 2 are very early safety and efficacy studies. “
Likewise, Zydus Cadila’s DNA vaccine has also completed phase 1 studies at 11 sites and has started its phase 2 trials, which are also progressing. which would start within a week at 17 sites, ”Bhargava said during the briefing.
Emphasizing the urgent need for a vaccine, the ICMR official said that although the pandemic is progressing rapidly, the development of a vaccine takes time “not only from a scientific point of view, but also from a scientific point of view. social, cultural and regulatory “.
He stressed, however, that until a safe and effective vaccine becomes available, lasting behavior change, physical distancing, wearing masks and good hand hygiene, is probably the best vaccine available at the moment. current, and even these measures must absolutely be continued.
