Giving updates on five potential COVID-19 vaccines, Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh on July 20 said that four candidates are currently in different stages of human trials. He said that another one, developed by Genique Life Sciences, is in the advanced pre-clinical stage.
In a written response to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Singh said Cadila Healthcare Ltd.'s DNA-based vaccine candidate is in phase three clinical trial and it has submitted the interim data for emergency use authorisation.
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While Biological E Ltd.'s vaccine candidate and Bharat Biotech International Ltd.'s adeno intranasal vaccine candidate are in phase three clinical trials, Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd.'s mRNA-vaccine candidate is in phase one clinical trial, Singh said.
Gurgaon-based Genique Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd.'s vaccine candidate is in the advanced pre-clinical stage, the union minister said.
Currently, three vaccines -- Serum Institute of India's (SII) Covishield, Bharat Biotech's Covaxin and Russian vaccine Sputnik V -- are being administered in India.
Meanwhile, during a discussion on the health crisis and the vaccination policy in Rajya Sabha on July 20, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said that India may become the first country in the world to develop a DNA-based vaccine.
"Cadila has completed third phase trial of its DNA vaccine and has applied for emergency use authorisation before DCGI (Drugs Controller General of India). Our expert team is looking into it. When this will come in the market, India will be the only country where scientists have developed a DNA vaccine," Mandaviya said.
The minister also said Biological E is conducting the third phase trial of its vaccine and it is expected to make 7.5 crore doses available in the market by September-October.
"Zydus Cadila and Bharat Biotech have started trials on children. I expect their trials to be successful," he said.
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