Amid the surging novel coronavirus cases in India, the country's 'first' indigenous COVID-19 vaccine COVAXIN has got the nod for human clinical trials from the Drug Controller General of India (DGCI).
India registered 18,522 new COVID-19 cases in a single day, taking the country’s case count to 5,66,840 while the death toll rose to 16,893 with 418 new fatalities, according to the Union Health Ministry data released on June 30.
The number of active cases stands at 2,15,125, while 3,34,821 people have recovered, and one patient has migrated, according to the updated ministry’s data.
Considering the rising number of the novel coronavirus infection, some Indian companies are working on a vaccine for the deadly coronavirus while similar efforts are underway in different countries.
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Among these Indian companies, Bharat Biotech has developed COVAXIN. Here is all you need to know about the drug and its clinical trial:
> COVAXIN is India’s 'first' indigenous COVID-19 vaccine, developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of Virology (NIV).
> The indigenous and inactivated COVID-19 vaccine has been developed at Bharat Biotech’s BSL-3 (Bio-Safety Level 3) high containment facility located in the Genome Valley in Hyderabad.
> The DGCI, CDSCO (Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation), and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare granted permission to initiate Phase I and II human clinical trials after the company submitted results generated from pre-clinical studies, demonstrating safety and immune response.
> The Phase I and Phase II clinical trials of the vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 are scheduled to start across India in July.
(With inputs from PTI)
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