The government has identified five sites across the country for the third and final phase of the human trials of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine. The Serum Institute of India, which is the world’s largest vaccine maker in terms of the number of doses produced and sold globally, has partnered with biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca to mass produce the Oxford vaccine.

“The DBT [Department of Biotechnology] is now setting up Phase 3 clinical sites,” Secretary of Department of Biotechnology Renu Swarup said. “We have already started working on them and five sites are now ready to be available for Phase 3 trials.” Swarup added that the sites will be ready within a few weeks for “manufacturers to take them up for clinical trial studies”.

The five sites are at INCLEN Trust International in Palwal, Haryana; KEM in Pune; the Society for Health Allied Research in Hyderabad; the National Institute of Epidemiology in Chennai; and Christian Medical College in Vellore. Swarup said that companies will have a large database of volunteers once the trial sites are ready. “Having trained and equipped sites for field trials in healthy populations has been a challenge for vaccine manufacturers,” said the DBT secretary. “These five sites will meet this challenge.”

Swarup added that it was an essential step because it is necessary to have data within the country before the vaccine is administered. The Serum Institute expects to vaccinate everyone in India in two years.

The government has identified five sites across the country for the third and final phase of the human trials of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine. The Serum Institute of India, which is the world’s largest vaccine maker in terms of the number of doses produced and sold globally, has partnered with biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca to mass produce the Oxford vaccine.

“The DBT [Department of Biotechnology] is now setting up Phase 3 clinical sites,” Secretary of Department of Biotechnology Renu Swarup said. “We have already started working on them and five sites are now ready to be available for Phase 3 trials.” Swarup added that the sites will be ready within a few weeks for “manufacturers to take them up for clinical trial studies”.

The five sites are at INCLEN Trust International in Palwal, Haryana; KEM in Pune; the Society for Health Allied Research in Hyderabad; the National Institute of Epidemiology in Chennai; and Christian Medical College in Vellore. Swarup said that companies will have a large database of volunteers once the trial sites are ready. “Having trained and equipped sites for field trials in healthy populations has been a challenge for vaccine manufacturers,” said the DBT secretary. “These five sites will meet this challenge.”

Swarup added that it was an essential step because it is necessary to have data within the country before the vaccine is administered. The Serum Institute expects to vaccinate everyone in India in two years.