August is the trial date for Covid-19 vaccine

Pune-based Serum Institute of India will produce one billion doses of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccine developed by Oxford University’s Jenner Institute. Early results of trials on Monday showed the vaccine was safe and produced an antibody response against the new coronavirus Sars-CoV2.

Human trials for the vaccine candidate in India are set to start in August this year.

Adar Poonawalla, chief executive officer, Serum Institute of India (SII), which is the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer by number of doses produced and sold globally, said his company plans to manufacture the vaccine in India to ensure equitable access to low- and middle-income countries.

The company will apply for the licence for trials to the Indian regulator in a week’s time. Human trials will start in August 2020.

One billion doses of the AstraZeneca Oxford vaccine over the next one year. At present, the AstraZeneca Oxford vaccine is undergoing Phase-III clinical trials in different countries.

The Serum Institute of India has entered a manufacturing partnership with AstraZeneca to produce the AstraZeneca Oxford vaccine in India.

The vaccines will be for India and middle- and low- income countries across the world.

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