India’s Coronavirus Vaccine – Covaxin set for launch by August 15

Vaccine is derived from a strain of SARS-CoV-2 isolated by ICMR-National Institute

• The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) aims to launch the Coronavirus
  vaccine being developed in partnership with Hyderabad based Bharat Biotech
  for public health use by August 15
• It is envisaged to launch the vaccine for public health use latest by 15th August
  2020 after completion of all clinical trials
• BBIL is working expeditiously to meet the target; however, final outcome will
  depend on the cooperation of all clinical trial sites involved in this project

Development of vaccine and Selection of 12 hospitals ICMR

• The vaccine has been jointly developed by ICMR and Hyderabad-based Bharat
  Biotech (BBIL), with the latter itself previously indicating that a vaccine could
  take more time
• In an interview to The New Indian Express on Wednesday, Bharat Biotech
  chairman and managing director Krishna Ella said that if clinical trials of
  Covaxin met safety and efficacy standards, the vaccine could be available for
  mass use by early 2021
• It is envisaged to launch the vaccine for public health use latest by 15th August
  2020 after completion of all clinical trials
• BBIL is working expeditiously to meet the target, however final outcome will
  depend on the cooperation of all clinical trial sites involved in this project
• Clinical trials include a clutch of tightly monitored inoculation among sets of
  volunteers to test whether a vaccine is safe and works – a process that on
  average has taken over 10 years. In a pandemic, this timeline can be
  compressed, but most experts believe that is still likely to take 12-18 months –
  making India’s plans on Covaxin scientifically implausible
• ICMR has selected 12 institutes for the Phase-I and Phase-II clinical trials of the
  first indigenously developed COVID-19 vaccine BBV152
• At NIV Pune, the strain of SARS-CoV-2 was isolated before being transferred to
  Bharat Biotech
• The vaccine is developed at the high containment facility of Bharat BiotechBSL-3 (Bio Safety Level 3)

What is “Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)”?

• It is an apex body in India for the formulation, coordination and promotion of
  biomedical research, is one of the oldest and largest medical research bodies in
  the world
• The ICMR is funded by the Government of India through the Department of
  Health Research, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
• ICMR’s 26 national institutes address themselves to research on specific health
  topics like tuberculosis, leprosy, cholera and diarrhoeal diseases, viral diseases
  including AIDS, malaria, kala-azar, vector control, nutrition, food & drug
  toxicology, reproduction, immuno-haematology, oncology, medical statistics, etc
• Its 6 regional medical research centers address themselves to regional health
  problems, and also aim to strengthen or generate research capabilities in
  different geographic areas of the country

What is “Bharat Biotech International”?

• It is a Pharmaceuticals company headquartered at Hyderabad, India engaged in
  manufacturing vaccines, bio-therapeutics and health care products
  Science and Technology
• Bharat Biotech has its manufacturing facility situated at Genome Valley,
  Hyderabad, India
• Currently, the company employs over 700 employees and has a presence
  worldwide
• The company has been responsible for developing an eco-friendly recombinant
  and a naturally attenuated strain derived Rotavirus vaccine called ROTAVAC
• They were one of the first to develop vaccines for viral diseases like
  Chikungunya and Zika
• The company also produces vaccines for Japanese Encephalitis

Pic courtesy : business.standard.com