Serum Institute of India: Hotspots in Mumbai & Pune areas to help test COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness

The increasing number of COVID-19 cases in Mumbai and Pune will contribute in testing the effectiveness of the vaccine made by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, said its local manufacture Serum Institute of India.

SII said that by the end of August around 4,000 to 5,000 people in both Mumbai and Pune will be tested with the vaccine as part of trials that will continue for two months.

The vaccine candidate developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca has shown satisfactory progress from the vaccines test results and is furter conducting larger field tests in the United Kingdom.

In India, it has chosen SII as manufacturing partner, which has to conduct field trials before getting the final nod to ensure they are safe and effective for Indians.

The company's chief executive Adar Poonawalla said, as Mumbai & Pune have maximum cases, we have shortlisted many hotspots that will help us understand the effectiveness of the vaccine.  

SII plans to start the phase-3 trials of the vaccine named 'Covishield' in India by August after getting a nod from the Drug Controller General of India.

"The Indian regulatory authorities have aided us in fast-tracking approvals keeping in mind the requisite guidelines of safety and efficacy, Poonawalla said. We do not want to rush and would focus only on delivering a viable and effective product for the masses, he said.

"Our facility is well-equipped with state-of-the-art technology to manufacture the COVID-19 vaccine. We plan to start production post regulatory approvals, Poonawala said.