India to begin human trials of COVAXIN next week

COVAXIN, which has been developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL), will be tested on more than 1,100 people in phase 1 and 2 clinical trials.

COVAXIN was caught in the midst of a controversy after the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) had partnered with BBIL to fast-track the clinical trials to launch India's indigenous vaccine by Aug 15.

The Indian scientific community has, however, termed the ICMR's claim to produce the Covid-19 vaccine by Aug 15 as "risky" and "impossible".

AIIMS director Randeep Guleria, who is the head of the clinical research group of the national task force on Covid, told The Indian Express, "It will be a very challenging and difficult task, considering that we have to look at both efficacy and safety of any vaccine that is introduced.

"Also, if we get the desired results, the other challenge is the process of mass production of the vaccine."

Virologist Shaheed Jameel, the chief executive of the Wellcome Trust-DBT Alliance that funds health research in India, said as quoted by the daily, "I fear the global scientific community would be laughing at us for this. It should not have happened. India is a serious player in science."

"Who is going to trust us if we behave like this? Who is going to believe us even if we indeed come up with a good vaccine tomorrow?… And I am appalled at the kind of language used in the letter. It is not a letter, it reads like a threat," he added.

Defending the claim, the ICMR said the process was “in accordance with the globally accepted norms to fast-track the vaccine development."