Two Indian vaccine candidates against COVID-19 in phase two trials: VK Paul

Bharat Biotech's vaccine candidate based on inactivated virus procured by ICMR and Zydus Cadila's candidate based on viral DNA are two Indian COVID-19 vaccines in second phase trial, Niti Aayog member Dr Vinod K Paul said on Saturday.

Taking part in the 20th meeting of the High-level Group of Ministers (GoM) on COVID-19 in New Delhi, which was chaired by the Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, he said 29 candidates, including two Indian vaccine candidates, are in clinical trials and six are in third phase trials.

"In India, Bharat Biotech's vaccine candidate based on inactivated virus procured by ICMR is in the Phase II trial along with Zydus Cadila's candidate which is based on viral DNA. The Oxford vaccine candidate developed by Serum Institute of India is already in Phase III trial in Maharashtra and some other States," he said.

Dr Paul also informed the meeting about the progress made by the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19.

The group is tasked with facilitation of vaccine development including issues of trial and stockpiling, sorting out issues of financing, risk management, selection of potential beneficiaries and their order of reference, envisioning logistics, scale-up, digital system, defining principles for selecting beneficiary categories, and defining the scientific basis for selecting vaccine.

Three meetings of the expert group have been held so far, the release said.

( With inputs from ANI )