Phase-3 trial of Covaxin begins at Odisha's SUM Hospital
BHUBANESWAR: The third phase human trial of Covid-19 vaccine candidate 'Covaxin' began at the Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital here, said an official on Friday. This is the only institute in Odisha chosen by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) for the human trial of the vaccine. The vaccine was administered to two recruits at the Preventive and Therapeutic Clinical Trial Unit (PTCTU) at the hospital, said Dr. E.Venkata Rao, Principal Investigator in the Covaxin human trial. The indigenous vaccine, being developed by Bharat Biotech and ICMR, has received the approval of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) for initiating the third-phase trial. The trial is being conducted at 21 selected medical institutes across the country. Rao, who is a Professor in the Department of Community Medicine at IMS and SUM Hospital, said the vaccine's first phase trial was aimed at measuring its safety while phase two was meant to test its immunogenicity. The third phase trial would check the efficacy of the vaccine, he said. (IANS)
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