TIMESOFINDIA.COM | Last updated on – Jul 2, 2020, 13: 15 IST
01/6Covaxin: India’s first COVID 19 vaccine candidate approved for human trials. Here’s all you need to know
With over 6,00,000 cases of Coronavirus, India ranks as the fourth highest affected country in the world. While the numbers continue to rise, a ray of hope has appeared with India’s first COVID 19 vaccine candidate, developed by Bharat Biotech India (BBIL), Hyderabad-based biotechnology firm working closely with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of Virology (NIV).
India’s drug control authority, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has allowed BBIL to hold Phase I and II of human clinical trials, which are scheduled to start across India in July.
02/6Covaxin: What is it and how was it developed?
Covaxin is the first indigenous vaccine candidate to fight against the novel coronavirus, created and developed by BBIL. It is the first vaccine candidate to be approved for human trials.
According to the firm, “The SARS-CoV-2 strain was isolated in NIV, Pune and transferred to Bharat Biotech. The indigenous, inactivated vaccine was developed and manufactured in Bharat Biotech’s BSL-3 (Bio-Safety Level 3) High Containment facility located in Genome Valley, Hyderabad, India.”
Also known as an inactivated virus, the virus has no possibility of infecting a person or multiplying in number, as it is already dead. However, when presented to the immune system, the dead viruses has the ability to activate the antibodies that can fight against these viruses.
03/6The stages of approval
After having undergone a series of pre-clinical testing, involving multiple animal trials, the firm approached the drug control authorities i.e. CDSCO, for an approval to proceed to the next level of testing, consisting of human clinical trials.
Covaxin, having received the approval from the authorities are scheduled to start their trials in July. Bharat Biotech India (BBIL)