Key points:
• JJ hospital to start phase 3 trail for its Covaxin.
• Jk expects to enrol at least 1,000 people for the trial of Covaxin.
• The Hyderabad-based firm plans to test more than 20,000 volunteers across 12-14 states for Covaxin.
In collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech had recently started Phase 3 trial for its Covaxin vaccine at Sion.
On Wednesday, the ICMR signed paperworks with JJ and hospital sources said that enrolment of suitable candidates, as per ICMR norms, will start from Friday onwards. The hospital will also enrol frontline workers in the trials.
JJ expects to enrol at least 1,000 people for the trial of Covaxin, Dr Ranjit Mankeshwar, the dean, confirmed.
“A special team of doctors, including ethics committee doctors, have been appointed to look into the trial. All the paperwork has been done. We are set to start enrolling the volunteers soon.”
The Hyderabad-based firm plans to test more than 20,000 volunteers across 12-14 states for Covaxin.
Dr Sashank Joshi, member of the state task force on Covid, said currently four vaccine trials are going on in the state, including the two Covaxin trials. “The Serum Institute is leading the race in terms of completing the trials and, hopefully, if they get permission, the vaccine can be given from December onwards,” he said.
Dr TP Lahane, director of the Directorate of Medical Education and research, said: “We are expecting to enroll at least a thousand people in this [JJ] trial. Each and every person will be followed for 28 days for the trial.”
