The recent whispers of the advent of an Indian vaccine for the novel coronavirus has now turned out into a major shoutout. The first indigenous COVID-19 vaccine named COVAXIN, was being developed by the India-based Bharat Biotech in collaboration with National Institute of Virology (NIV) and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Now, the company expects to introduce the vaccine by the mid of upcoming August. It is worth mentioning that the vaccine was approved by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for the human clinical trial (viz. Phase I & Phase II) that was to start across the nation in July 2020.
As of the recent claims given on 3rd July 2020, this first made-in-India vaccine against the novel coronavirus could be launched on the upcoming Independence Day on August 15. This was mentioned in the letter written by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to the institutions involved in developing this vaccine for the virus.
The Director-General (D-G) at ICMR, Dr. Balram Bhargava, has written to these aforementioned institutions that stated: “This is the first indigenous vaccine being developed by India and is one of the top priority projects, which is being monitored at the topmost level of the government”. The vaccine is foreseen to be launched for public use lately by 15th August after it completes all the clinical trials.
The project is kept on high priority and thus the process of making this vaccine is expedited by the concerned authorities. If things went right and as per the proposed plan, the country will witness a new freedom this Independence Day; on 15th August 2020.
Bharat Biotech, the Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical company has confirmed in a statement that the DGCI has permitted to conduct the Phase I & II human clinical trials. This was done right after the organization has presented the results produced from the preclinical studies. These studies stated that the drug is safe and had an effective immune response. Now, that the human clinical trials are about to start across the nation within this July, the hopes for the vaccine success are high.
