A top official at the Serum Institute of India (SII) said on Saturday that India’s first coronavirus vaccine-Covishield- will be commercialised in 73 days.
The vaccine is developed by Oxford University and it is likely to be the first one to move into production in India, reported India Today TV.
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The phase III trials of the vaccine are being handled by the Serum Institute of India.
Quoting an SII official, Business Today reported that the government has given the biotechnology company “a ‘special manufacturing priority license’ and fast-tracked the trial protocol processes to get the trials completed in 58 days.”
“By this, the first dosing will take place today [Saturday] in the final phase [Phase III] and the second dosing will happen after 29 days,” the report added.
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“The final trial report will be out in another 15 days from the second dosing. By that time, we are planning to commercialise Covishield,” it further said.
It may be mentioned here that the phase III trials of the vaccine began on Saturday at 20 centres in India in Pune, Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
The vaccine will be administered to 1,600 people in this phase.