India aims to release coronavirus vaccine by August 15

New Delhi : The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has partnered with Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) for clinical trials of an indigenous vaccine for the treatment of coronavirus infection.

BBIL is using the virus strain isolated at ICMR’s National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune to develop the vaccine.

The clinical trials will be done in 12 labs across the nation. According to a report, the ICMR has asked these labs to fast-track trials of vaccines and making it a top priority projects which are being “monitored at the topmost level of the government”.

In a letter to these institutes, ICMR mentioned that they aim to launch the vaccine by August 15 this year.

“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,” it further said in the letter.

Meanwhile, the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) on Thursday granted permission to pharma giant Zydus Cadila to conduct phase I and phase II human clinical trials for Covid-19 vaccine.

The potential vaccine showed a “strong immune response” in animal studies, and the antibodies produced were able to completely neutralise the wild type virus, Zydus, part of Cadila Healthcare Ltd, said in a statement to Indian stock exchanges.