Shawdesh desk:

As COVID cases continue to record alarming one-day hikes in the country, scientists are working round the clock to develop a vaccine which will be able to put an end to the pandemic. One of the strongest leaders in the race is Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII), headed by conglomerate Adar Poonawalla, which is overseeing production, testing and marketing of top vaccines under contention right now. SII is also hopeful of bringing out their own prototype, fully made in India by next year. The firm, which is one of the largest vaccine producers in the country has now also ambitiously promised that India will see a COVID-19 vaccine ready by December this year.

A COVID-19 vaccine for India by December?

Speaking in an interview with CNBC-TV18, Poonawallah, who was most famously in news after signing pacts with British-Swedish pharma company AstraZeneca to test, mass-produce and market the Oxford University vaccine, AZD-1222, ambitiously claimed that they will be soon headed to trials of the vaccine and hope to have millions of doses ready by December.

“We are going to start trials in less than two weeks. The trial is in partnership with ICMR. We will start manufacturing vaccines by the end of August.” SII has also claimed to have already ramped up production to have millions of doses ready for developed and developing countries.

Testing centres selected across the country

The deal has been signed with ICMR and DCGI in the loop. Several trial centres around the world have been selected pan India for the same wherein 3000-4000 volunteers will be dosed with the experimental vaccine in a randomized control trial. The testing will be done in two phases- phase II and III to expedite the process.

Source: Times of India