Serum Institute’s new firm, Bharat Biotech’s stage 3 trial: Covid-19 vaccine latest updates

Bharat Biotech’s vaccine has shown positive results which is why the company cut the size of the second phase trial short and is now moving to the third and final phase

Vaccine development in India got a shot in the arm after Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin got approval for the third phase of clinical trials. Serum Institute of India, which is conducting trials of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in India, is also developing a treatment for Covid-19 treatment. The Pune-based vaccine maker has entered into an agreement with German’s Merck and New York’s IAVI.

A research scientist works inside a laboratory of India's Serum Institute, the world's largest maker of vaccines, which is working on vaccines against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Pune. (REUTERS)

A look at the latest developments:

SII has floated a new company

Pune’s SII has set up a new company Serum Institute of Life Science, which will only focus on research and development. In an interview to Forbes which listed Poonawalla group chairman Cyrus Poonawalla as one of India’s top 10 richest persons this year, CEO Adar Poonawalla has said the new company is building a “pandemic-level” manufacturing unit in Pune.

Bharat Biotech’s phase 3 trial

In collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research, Bharat Biotech is developing an indigenous vaccine against Covid-19. So far, Bharat Biotech’s vaccine has shown positive results which is why the company cut the size of the second phase trial short and is now moving to the third and final phase. The third phase will be conducted on 28,500 subjects aged 18 years and above in 10 states.

Zydus Cadila’s vaccine

This vaccine candidate is under phase two of the clinical trial, the data of which will be available by November. After that, this candidate will proceed towards the third phase aiming March 2021 as the deadline for their vaccine development.