ICMR Coronavirus Vaccine Launching Plans Developed in collaboration with Bharat Biotech by 15 August

On 2 July 2020, the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) confirmed that it plans to launch the coronavirus vaccine to be produced in collaboration with Bharat Biotech based in Hyderabad by 15 August. ICMR DG Balram Bhargava wrote a letter to Bharat Biotech and medical college principal investigators to complete the trial procedure of the indigenous COVID-19 vaccine in a fast track process, so that clinical trial results can be launched by August 15th.

The ICMR created the indigenous Covid-19 vaccine (BBV152 COVID vaccine) and selected 12 institutes for the first indigenous coronavirus vaccine in the country for a clinical trial. Thew ICMR has asked the 12 institutes to quickly track the vaccine's clinical trials as it is considered one of the top priority projects being monitored at the top government level.

BBIL (Biocon Biologics India Ltd) works rapidly to achieve the goal, but the final outcome will depend on the cooperation of all the clinical trial sites involved in this project, the ICMR told the selected institutions. At the other hand, WHO scientists have predicted that a safe and effective vaccine will take at least 12-18 months to develop against SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19. Traditionally, it takes several years or even decades to create vaccines for a new pathogen.

The vaccine is extracted from a SARS-CoV-2 strain isolated from ICMR-National Virology Institute, Pune. ICMR and BBIL are working together for the clinical and preclinical development of this vaccine, "said an official. The Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) has selected Bhubaneswar-based Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital under the SOA Deemed to be University to conduct human clinical trials of India's first coronavirus vaccine, an official of the Institute for Medical Research.

The ICMR has asked the 12 institutes to rapidly track the vaccine's clinical trials as it is considered one of the highest priority projects being tracked at the highest government level. Regarding the obvious health emergency triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and the urgency of launching the vaccine, selected institutes are strictly advised to rapidly monitor all approvals relevant to the initiation of the clinical trial and to ensure that the subject enrolment is initiated during the first week of July.