India's first Covid-19 vaccine to launch by Aug 15
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) have come together to step up efforts
New Delhi: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) have come together to step up efforts for a possible vaccine for the novel coronavirus.
Bharat Biotech and ICMR could now launch the indigenous vaccine Covaxin by August 15 for the public.
ICMR has developed the indigenous Covid-19 vaccine (BBV152 COVID vaccine) partnered with BBIL. The ICMR has selected 12 institutes for clinical trial of the country's first indigenous Covid-19 vaccine, an official said.
The ICMR also informed that it is envisaged to launch the vaccine for public health use latest by August 15, 2020 after completion of all clinical trials.
Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech successfully developed Covaxin in collaboration with the ICMR and National Institute of Virology (NIV). The SARS-CoV-2 strain was isolated in NIV, Pune and transferred to Bharat Biotech.