NEW DELHI: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), in partnership with Bharat Biotech, started Phase 3 trials of COVAXIN on Monday, November 16. The 3rd phase of trials will include 26,000 volunteers across the nation. It is India’s first phase 3 success study and largest clinical test conducted for a COVID-19 vaccine. The test has been approved by the Drug Controller General of India.
This indigenous vaccine by Bharat Biotech has been developed jointly by ICMR and National Institute of Virology. The highly purified and inactivated vaccine, COVAXIN, is manufactured in a vero cell-manufacturing platform with exceptional safety track record of more than 300 million doses supplied.
Suchitra Ella, Joint Managing Director of Bharat Biotech, said that the development of COVAXIN marks a significant milestone for vaccinology in India.