ICMR selects AIIMS-Patna for Covid vaccine trial

PATNA: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has shortlisted AIIMS-Patna for conducting the clinical trial of a Covid-19 vaccine developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech in collaboration with National Institute of Virology-Pune.
AIIMS-P is among the 12 health establishments shortlisted across the country for conducting the clinical trial of the indigenous BBV152 Covid vaccine. ICMR director general Dr Balram Bhargava has written a letter to the shortlisted 12 institutes.
“This is the first indigenous vaccine being developed by India and is one of the top priority projects which is being monitored at the topmost level of the government ... ICMR and BBIL (Bharat Biotech) are jointly working for the preclinical as well as clinical development of this vaccine ... In view of the public health emergency due to Covid-19 pandemic and urgency to launch the vaccine, you are strictly advised to fast-track all approvals related to initiation of clinical trial and ensure that the subject enrolment is initiated no later than July 7,” an excerpt of the ICMR letter reads. A copy of the letter is with this newspaper.
On being asked, AIIMS-P director Prabhat Kumar Singh told this newspaper on Saturday that the process of clinical trial for the vaccine is in the preliminary stages. “A decision on commencement of clinical trials will take place after several rounds of meetings and discussions,” he said.
Dr Neeraj Aggarwal, the nodal officer for Covid-19 and dean of AIIMS-P, said: “Our main concern right now is to finalize the procedure and successfully conduct the trials. It is a very critical step as the country’s hope depends on its success or failure. Hence, we are extra cautious for the same. We will be able to decide the level at which the trials would be done once the final meeting takes place.”
Health experts said they hope for the success of the clinical trials of the vaccine at AIIMS-Patna and other institutes.
Indian Medical Association (Bihar chapter) president Dr Bimal Karak said the vaccine would do wonders if approved in the clinical trial.
Dr Arun Shah, Muzaffarpur-based senior paediatrician, said the vaccine has already cleared Phase I and II trials. “The human trials of the vaccine should be done on those at higher risk of getting infected like paramedical staff and close family members of the positive patients. It is very important to know the efficacy, safety and effectiveness of the vaccine, for which the trials should be done on numerous people. Besides, antibody count should also be measured,” he said. He added that it is a big achievement for the country to make a vaccine in such a short span of time.