Indian Company Bharat Biotech to Launch COVID-19 Vaccine in February - Reports
India's pharmaceutical company Bharat Biotech expects to launch its COVID-19 vaccine COVAXIN, developed in cooperation with the the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), in February, which is several months earlier than was planned before, The Times of India newspaper reported on Thursday
NEW DELHI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th November, 2020) India's pharmaceutical company Bharat Biotech expects to launch its COVID-19 vaccine COVAXIN, developed in cooperation with the the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), in February, which is several months earlier than was planned before, The Times of India newspaper reported on Thursday.
"The vaccine has shown good efficacy," senior ICMR scientist Rajni Kant said, as quoted by the newspaper.
India started to trial COVAXIN back in July. The third phase of trials is set for November and will engage over 25,000 people.
"It has shown safety and efficacy in the phase 1 and 2 trials and in the animal studies - so it is safe but you can't be sure 100% unless the phase 3 trials are over," Kant said.
India is still testing three national COVID-19 vaccines. The Bharat Biotech and Zydus Cadila companies are going through the second phase of testing their vaccines. New Delhi also cooperates with foreign pharmaceutical companies. The AstraZeneca Oxford COVID-19 vaccine has passed two trial phases in India. Back in September, Russia has agreed to deliver 100 million doses of the Russian COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V to India for clinical trials.