AstraZeneca stopped Phase-3 trials; 9 pharmaceutical companies will not release promising premature vaccines; Covaxin will be available by next year

Posted on 9th Sep 2020 by rohit kumar

The economy of the country and the world is struggling with a crisis due to the second powerful wave of coronavirus. The number of new cases in unlocking is increasing daily in India too. In such a situation, efforts to bring the Covid-19 vaccine as soon as possible have received a major blow.

 

AstraZeneca has stopped the trial of the vaccine Kovyshield made at Oxford University in the US because of a volunteer sick. At the same time, 9 pharmaceutical companies in the US have promised that they will not launch the premature vaccine market.

 

Trials of the Oxford Vaccine Stopped

 

The phase-3 trials of Vaccine Coveshield of Oxford University and AstraZeneca, currently leading the vaccine race, have been temporarily halted. A volunteer has become ill. It is not understood whether this is a side effect of the vaccine shot or something. AstraZeneca has begun its investigation.

 

The company stated on Tuesday evening, saying that the standard review process has been stopped so that the safety data can be reviewed. AstraZeneca has not mentioned anything about the possible side effects. It is only said that it is 'Potentially unexplained illness'.

 

Health news site STAT was the first to report this news. A spokesperson for AstraZeneca has confirmed that it is in Volunteer UK. After this, AstraZeneca has stopped Phase-3 trials all over the world including America, India.

In the past month itself, AstraZeneca has started tests on 30,000 people in the US. Apart from this, trials of this Oxford University vaccine have started in Britain, Brazil, South Africa as well as India. Serum Institute of India is conducting its trials in India.

 

Kovaxin will be available next year

 

India's first indigenous Covid-19 vaccine Kovaxin will be launched early next year. It has been developed by Bharat Biotech in association with ICMR. Kovaxin has started Phase-1 trials. The central government has approved phase-2 trials from 7 September.

 

Sanjay Rai, a community medicine professor at AIIMS and principal investigator of the Covid-19 vaccine, said the Phase-1 trials were successful. Phase-2 trials will be completed in October. Phase-3 trials will begin after this. This means that covaxin will be available by early 2021.

 

Efforts on phase-3 testing of Russian vaccine in India intensify

 

Russia has approached India for phase-3 trials of its Covid-19 vaccine Sputnik V and its production. NITI Aayog member Dr VK Paul said that the government understands the great importance of this offer of partnership with very special friends. There have been significant efforts on this.

 

Member (Health) in NITI Aayog, Dr. Paul also said that Russia had approached several companies of the country for the production of vaccines. Four companies have also come forward for this. The government is trying to see how these companies can connect with Russian authorities.

 

9 pharmaceutical companies promised vaccine will be safe

 

Nine pharmaceutical companies have issued a joint pledge, dismissing pressure to bring the Covid-19 vaccine before the US presidential elections. He has said in this that the safety of people who will be vaccinated will be at the top.

 

The CEOs of AstraZeneca, BioNotech, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Johnson & Johnson, Merck (MSD), Moderna, Novavax, Pfizer, and Sanofi have signed on to the pledge. The initiative comes at a time when US President Donald Trump is trying to get treatment and vaccine approved as soon as possible to fight the epidemic.

Trump also hinted on Monday that the US may approve the Covid-19 vaccine ahead of the presidential elections on November 3, or in October. It is clear from the pledge of nine pharmaceutical companies that none of these companies will ask for premature approval before the trial ends.

Other news