Serum Institute to pause coronavirus vaccine trials in India

New Delhi : Serum Institute of India has decided to pause trials of third phase of coronavirus vaccine Covishield, which is being developed by Oxford University along with AstraZeneca. The vaccine trials have been stopped across four nations after one of its volunteers in UK showed some adverse symptoms.

DGCI also issued a showcause notice to the Serum Institute, asking why the trials of vaccine were on in India while it was stopped elsewhere.

"We are reviewing the situation and pausing India trials till AstraZeneca restarts the trials," read a statement from the Serum Institute, which was still doing the groundwork for the trial including listing volunteers.

"We are following DCGI's instructions and will not be able to comment further on trials. You can connect with DCGI for more updates on this front," added the statement released today by the institute headed by Adar Poonawalla.

AstraZeneca, the British-Swedish pharma giant, had said the volunteer had suffered "an unexplained illness" and such pauses in drug trials are "routine".