Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) is likely to start from Monday the final stage of the clinical trial of University of Oxford and AstraZeneca Plc.’s experimental vaccine. The late-stage trial will take place at the Sassoon General Hospital in Pune.
In the third phase of the clinical trial, around 150-200 volunteers will administer a dose of Covishield. “Some volunteers have already come forward for the trial,” a senior official from the company said. The Sassoon General Hospital in Pune has started enrolling volunteers from Saturday. “Those who are willing to volunteer for the vaccination should contact the hospital,” he said.
The phase II trial of Covishield was conducted at Bharti Vidyapeeth Medical College and King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital in Pune.
SII has inked a pact with British-Swedish company AstraZeneca to manufacture COVID-19 vaccine candidate, developed by the University of Oxford.
The vaccine maker earlier shortlisted 17 sites in India for the Phase II clinical trial of Covid-19 vaccine. At least 1,600 candidates aged between 18 to 55, participated in the Phase II clinical trial.
On September 10, the drug maker had paused the clinical trials of the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine candidate in India in the wake of AstraZeneca suspending the clinical trials in other countries. On September 15 the DCGI granted permission to SII to resume trial, while revoking its earlier order of suspending any new recruitment for phase II and III trial.
