Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech on Wednesday released the results of phase 1 trials of its coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccine ‘Covaxin’, which produced a robust immune response against the disease and showed that most of the adverse events were mild and resolved. The vaccine is stored between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius and more efficacy trials are underway.
The results of the first phase of Covaxin, which Bharat Biotech is developing in collaboration with the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) comes a day after the Comptroller General of Drugs of India (DGCI) said it was examining the application submitted by the company requesting authorization for emergency use of its vaccine. The company has been asked to send more data.
Also read: India registers 26,382 new cases of Covid-19; the death toll exceeds 144,000
Emergency approval for any vaccine or drug can only be granted once the regulatory body conducts an evaluation of its safety and efficacy, based on data obtained from efficacy trials.
Also read: The WHO team will travel to China in January for the Covid-19 origin probe
Meanwhile, India together with the UK launched a virtual vaccine center that will share best practices for clinical trials and foster innovation, as well as help in the shared fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab announced that experts from the two countries would join forces through a new virtual center to deliver vaccines against coronavirus and other deadly viruses.
India recorded 26,382 new Covid-19 cases and 387 related deaths on Wednesday, bringing the overall count to more than 9.9 million. Active cases number 332,002 and are steadily declining, while 9.45 million people have recovered from the disease so far.
(With Rhythma Kaul tickets)
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