COVAXIN: Latest COVID-19 Vaccine being Tested from India
COVAXIN : India’s Bharat Biotech has joined the race along with Oxford University, AstraZeneca and Moderna Inc in developing a vaccine for coronavirus.
How far has the test of COVAXIN vaccine Reached?
COVAXIN, India’s first vaccine candidate got the green light for conducting human Clinical trial by the The Drug Controller General of India. The trials will begin in July. The vaccine candidate COVAXIN is developed by Bharat Biotech, in collaboration with ICMR and NIV.
The DCGI and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare gave Bharat Biotech the green light after the pre-clinical trial studies done on animals, which were submitted by the company showed promising results. The pre- clinical studies showed a safe immune response.
The Hyderabad based Bharat Biotech used their biosafety level 3 labs in a high containment facility. The lab is based in Genome Valley, Hyderabad.
The clinical trials will test the safety of the vaccine candidate on humans, as many times vaccines often result in a much more aggressive reaction when infected with the virus, in the human body.
How Rest of The World Is Developing COVID-19 Vaccine?
Zydus Cadilla is also working towards the development of a vaccine. Mynvax are also in the process of developing a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2. COVINAX is among five other Indigenous SARS-CoV-2 vaccine contenders. However, it is the first to get approved for phase I and II clinical human trials. The trials will commence from July.
World-wide there are around 13 vaccine candidates which are undergoing clinical trials. 140 vaccine candidates are under the process of development.
The World Health Organization has deemed the Oxford University AstraZeneca and Moderna Inc as the most advanced and promising vaccine candidates in the World.
WHO chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan was quoted saying, “Certainly in terms of how advanced they are, the stage at which they are, they are I think probably the leading candidates. We do know that Moderna’s vaccine is also going to go into phase three clinical trials, probably from the middle of July, and so that vaccine candidate is not far behind. AstraZeneca certainly has a more global scope at the moment in terms of where they are doing and planning their vaccine trials.”.
Astrazeneca is two steps ahead and has begun their phase 3 trials. Moderna Inc’s mRNA-1273 is on its way to conduct the phase 2 trials. The final phase III trials for Moderna’s vaccine candidate are to begin in July, on over 30,000 people.
Vaccines generally take years to develop. However, work for the development of COVID-19 vaccine is moving on a fast track basis. The development of a SARS-Cov-2 vaccine is a challenge, considering the exponential growth of the virus. the world needs a new vaccine now, more than ever.
If the trials for the current developing vaccine candidates succeeds, then the vaccine might be available in the world as early as possible. World needs the vaccine because Coronavirus is sparing none. The hope of decline in cases during summers have started fading and now having a vaccine is only solution. However, even if the vaccine is found, another challenge remains mass production and distribution of the vaccine. It is not just about a country or a two but this time it is over 7 billion population of the world.
The coronavirus pandemic has wrecked havoc in the world, and a vaccine is the need of the hour. COVAXIN : India’s COVID-19 Vaccine is a hope when everything seems to be fading. There is a light at the end of the tunnel and India is ready to be solution for the hope of entire world.
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