Two Chennai-based institutions are participating in the multi-centric clinical trial of the COVID-19 vaccine being developed in India. They are expected to offer the vaccine to nearly 300 volunteers, according to reports. The vaccine, christened Covishield in India, is being developed by Oxford University in association with UK-based pharma major AstraZeneca. The vaccine, touted to provide immunity against SARS-CoV-2 is currently in Phase II-III clinical trials.
According to a report in the Times of India, Tamil Nadu’s Directorate of Public Health is one institution that will reportedly administer the vaccine to healthy adults who have survived the onslaught of the novel coronavirus.
A senior Health Department official reportedly told the newspaper that between 120 and 150 people will be given the vaccine as part of Phase II and III clinical trials.
The vaccine will reportedly be administered at the Directorate’s office in Chennai’s Anna Salai.
“Doctors at the department community medicine at the Madras Medical College will be co-investigators for the trial,” the senior Health Department official told ToI.
Director of Public Health, Dr TS Selvavinayagam, is said to be the principal investigator for the project.
The second institution from the city that will participate in the trials is the Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research (SRIHER).
The institute, which has been part of several drug trials to treat the novel coronavirus, said that the vaccine will be given to at least 120 individuals.
Dismissing rumours over the commercial availability of the vaccine in 73 days, the Serum Institute of India said that the vaccine would be commercially available only once the trials prove to be successful and all the official regulatory approvals are in place.
They added that the government had granted them permission to only manufacture the vaccine and stockpile it for future use.
The ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (AZD1222) vaccine developed by Oxford University along with AstraZeneca and manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, will be tested in 17 cities with over 1,600 volunteers.