PGI Rohtak to start phase-2 trial of Bharat Biotech's Covid-19 vaccine

Post Graduate Institute (PGI) Rohtak will start the phase-2 human clinical trial of Bharat Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine.

Speaking to ANI, Dr OP Kalra, vice-chancellor, PGI Rohtak said, "We got permission from Bharat Biotech to start a phase-2 human clinical trial of their vaccine. We've 300 volunteers, aged between 12 years and 65- years, out of which screening of 15 has been completed."

"We hope to get vaccine dosages by tomorrow morning," added Kalra.

Recently, Niti Aayog member Dr Vinod K Paul said that Bharat Biotech's vaccine candidate based on inactivated virus procured by ICMR and Zydus Cadila's candidate based on viral DNA are two Indian COVID-19 vaccines in second phase trial.

"In India, Bharat Biotech's vaccine candidate based on inactivated virus procured by ICMR is in the Phase II trial along with Zydus Cadila's candidate which is based on viral DNA. The Oxford vaccine candidate developed by Serum Institute of India is already in Phase III trial in Maharashtra and some other States," he said.

The total coronavirus cases in the country reached 42,04,614 including 8,82,542 active cases, 32,50,429 cured/discharged/migrated and 71,642 deaths, as per the data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.