Friday 27 / December / 2024
New Delhi: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has promised to launch a coronavirus vaccine for public health use latest by August 15 after the completion of all clinical trials.
The ICMR has officially partnered with Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) to fast-track the clinical trials of the indigenous COVID-19 vaccine named BBV152 COVID Vaccine.
The vaccine is derived from a strain of SARS-CoV-2 isolated by ICMR-National Institute of Virology, Pune. ICMR and BBIL are jointly working on the pre-clinical trials as well as clinical development of this vaccine.
"It is envisaged to launch the vaccine for public use latest by August 15 after completion of all clinical trials. BBIL is working expeditiously to meet the target, however, the final outcome will depend on the cooperation of all clinical trial sites involved in this project," the ICMR letter said.
In a letter addressed to hospitals which have been picked as clinical trial sites for a candidate vaccine, Balram Bhargava, ICMR Director General, has said, “In view of public health emergency and urgency to launch the vaccine, you are strictly advised to fast track all approvals related to the initiation of the clinical trial, and ensure that the subject enrolment is initiated no later than 7th July 2020."
