Pune’s Serum Institute Vaccine Receives DCGI Approval – Largest Trial in India to Start!

The Indian Drugs Regulator has allowed Pune’s Serum Institute of India to proceed with phase 2 and 3 of human trials in India for the Oxford University COVID-19 vaccine. With this, this vaccine emerges as the largest trial which will be conducted on the most number of people.

Two other potential vaccines in India, one from Bharat Biotech and the other from Cadila Healthcare are in phase 1 and 2 of human trials. However, Serum’s vaccine enters phases 2 and 3 of human trials which are is going to be tested across 17 chosen sites. It includes, AIIMS Delhi, BJ Medical College Pune, RMRIMS Parna, AIIMS Jodhpur and so on, revealed an official to the Times of India.

This trial is the largest in the country as the other two vaccines currently in human trials will only be conducted on 1,150 and 1,000 participants, while this will be conducted on 1,600 people.

Ones the trials are over, and the vaccine is approved, Serum plans on manufacturing one billion doses over a span of one year. “We will start producing a few millions of doses at personal risk. Based on the success of the trials we are expecting it to be available by the end of this year. I believe by the first quarter of the next year, it will start reaching the masses,” said Adar Poonawalla, the Chief Executive of Serum Institute.

Previously, Poonawalla had also mentioned that the company will price the vaccine at Rs.1000 or lower.