Vaccine maker Bharat Biotech has recruited 13,000 of the 26,000 volunteers for the ongoing phase-III clinical trials of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate Covaxin.
“We sincerely thank all the 13,000 volunteers across the country for their support in enabling us to bring out a safe and efficacious Indian vaccine for COVID-19. This pro-vaccine public health volunteerism is a morale boost for us to achieve our milestone target of 26,000 soon – Thank you volunteers,” said Suchitra Ella, Joint MD, Bharat Biotech.
Covaxin is being developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-National Institute of Virology (NIV).
A release from the company said the phase-III human clinical trials began in mid-November and targeted 26,000 volunteers across the country. It is India’s first and only phase-III efficacy study for a COVID-19 vaccine, and the largest phase-III efficacy trial ever conducted for any vaccine in the country.
Covaxin has been evaluated in approximately 1,000 subjects in phase I and phase II clinical trials, with promising safety and immunogenicity results, with acceptance in international peer reviewed scientific journals, Bharat Biotech said.
The indigenous, inactivated vaccine is developed and manufactured in Bharat Biotech’s BSL-3 (Bio-Safety Level-3) bio-containment facility in Genome Valley, Hyderabad.
