The news about clinical trials for Covaxin, a vaccine candidate from India for COVID-19, at the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) here, has sparked hope among scores of people who have sent e-mails to or called up officials at the healthcare facility expressing interest to participate in the trials. And not only people from Telangana, people from other States also want to volunteer for the trials.
NIMS is among the 12 institutions involved in India’s indigenous COVID-19 vaccine trials, as listed by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
“People from other States have also expressed interest. The ground work is under way,” sources at the hospital said. NIMS director K. Manohar said that screening of participants is on.
The inactivated vaccine candidate by Bharat Biotech is developed in collaboration with ICMR-National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune. The potential vaccine is derived from a strain of SARS-COV-2 isolated by the NIV. Drug Controller General of India gave nod to the Phase 1 and Phase 2 human clinical trials.
ICMR and Bharat Biotech are jointly working for the preclinical as well as the clinical development of the vaccine (BBV152). On July 2, ICMR Director General Balram Bhargava sent a letter to heads of the 12 institutes stating that their institute was chosen as a clinical trial site for the vaccine. They were strictly advised to ensure that the subject enrolment is initiated no later than July 7.
“We are still screening the subjects (volunteers). Once we are done, we will seek approval from ICMR. Injections will be administered thereafter,” Dr Manohar said.
