About 20 vaccines are in different stages of development in India, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Saturday. India has launched an integrated response to overcome the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, Vardhan added.
The Union health minister spoke at the 8th BRICS STI ministerial meeting on Friday. Vardhan said India is also conducting clinical trials for all major vaccines. The Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, is conducting trials for the vaccine developed by the University of Oxford, he said.
Two of them are in the most advanced stage of development. COVAXIN developed through collaboration ICMR-Bharat Biotech and COVISHIELD of the Serum Institute of India. Both are in phase III clinical trials, he added.
“One of our pharmaceutical giants, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, will distribute the Russian vaccine in India after conducting final-stage human trials and receiving regulatory approval,” the minister said.
“From the development of indigenous vaccines, novel point-of-care diagnostics, and traditional knowledge-based therapeutic formulations, to the establishment of research resources and the provision of services, India’s R&D entities, both public and private companies are working tirelessly to develop effective interventions to combat the pandemic, “said Vardhan, who is in charge of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Science and Technology.
He said the government has announced a $ 120 million grant for COVID-19 vaccine research. This is provided for CovidSuraksha (Mission for Protection against COVID-19) and will be used exclusively for research and development in this field, he said.
“The grant does not cover the actual cost of the vaccine and its distribution costs, which will be done separately when the vaccine is available,” he said.
Valery Falkov, Minister of Science and Higher Education of Russia, Marcos Pontes, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation of Brazil, Huang Wei, First Vice Minister of Science and Technology of China, Bonginkosi Emmanuel Nzimande, Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology of South Africa and several other dignitaries from member countries participated in the meeting.
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