The Serum Institute of India is set to begin the final stage of the clinical trial of the experimental vaccine from the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca Plc., Starting next week. The last-stage trial will take place at Sassoon General Hospital in Pune, according to the news agency. PTI.
“The phase III trial of the Covishield vaccine will begin at Sassoon hospital starting next week. It is likely to begin on Monday.” Dr. Muralidhar Tambe, Dean of Sassoon General Hospital, told the news agency.
In the third phase of the clinical trial, about 150-200 volunteers will administer a dose of Covishield, Tambe said. “Some volunteers have already come forward for the test,” added Tamble. Sassoon General Hospital in Pune has started enrolling volunteers since Saturday. “Those who are willing to volunteer for vaccination should contact the hospital,” Tambe encouraged.
The Covishield phase II trial was conducted at Bharti Vidyapeeth Medical College and King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital in Pune.
The Pune-based drug maker has signed an agreement with British-Swedish company AstraZeneca to manufacture the COVID-19 candidate vaccine, developed by the University of Oxford. The vaccine manufacturer previously preselected 17 sites in India for the phase II clinical trial of the COVID-19 vaccine. At least 1,600 candidates between the ages of 18 and 55 participated in the phase II clinical trial.
On September 10, the drugmaker halted clinical trials of the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine candidate in India in the wake of AstraZeneca suspending clinical trials in other countries. On September 15, the Comptroller General of Drugs of India (DCGI), Dr. VG Somani, granted the Serum Institute of India permission to resume the trial, while also reversing its previous order to suspend any new recruitment for the trial. phase II and III.
The COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed by the Jenner Institute, a part of the Nuffield Department of Medicine at the University of Oxford, showed a positive result in its initial trial. According to a report published in the British medical journal, The lancet, the COVID-19 vaccine produced a dual immune response in people ages 18 to 55.
The possible COVID-19 vaccine from the University of Oxford could be released by the end of the year, but the main developer of the vaccine is not certain. “The end of the year target for the vaccine launch is a possibility, but there is absolutely no certainty about it because we need three things to happen,” Sarah Gilbert said previously.
The Serum Institute of India will begin testing of another COVID-19 candidate vaccine developed by Novavax next month. US drug developer Novavax Inc said it was doubling its potential COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing capacity to two billion doses annually under an agreement with the Indian drug maker. As part of the expanded agreement, the Serum Institute will also manufacture the antigen component of the vaccine.
.
