Representative photo: Reuters
NEW DELHI: Five sites across the country are ready for the third and final phase of human trials of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, Department of Biotechnology (DBT) Secretary Renu Swarup said on Monday.
This is an essential step because it is necessary to have data within the country before the vaccine is administered to Indians, Swarup told PTI.
The Serum Institute of India, the largest vaccine maker in the world, has been chosen by Oxford and its partner AstraZeneca to manufacture the vaccine once it is ready. Trials results for the first two phases were published earlier this month.
According to Swaroop, the DBT is part of any Covid-19 vaccine effort in India “… whether it is funding, whether it is facilitating the regulatory clearances or whether it is giving them access to different networks which exist within the country”.
“The DBT is now setting up Phase 3 clinical sites. We have already started working on them a