Mukesh Ambani-helmed Reliance has now stepped into COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing. On Thursday the drug regulator approved Reliance Life Sciences' application to conduct clinical trials of its recombinant protein-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate. The approval was given after the subject expert committee (SEC) reviewed its application during a meeting.
Reliance had sought the regulator’s approval to conduct Phase 1 trial of its proposed two-dose vaccine, stated a report in The Economic Times.
Through Phase 1, Reliance wants to obtain information on safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and mechanism of action of drugs. A person in the know told the daily that Phase 1 trials are usually conducted for 58 days, and once it is over Reliance could apply for Phase 2 and 3 trials.
Reliance Life Sciences is yet to officially issue a statement.
Reliance’s vaccine plans come at a time when the pace of vaccination has increased in the country.
Currently, there are six vaccines to have received emergency use authorisation. Serum Institute’s Covishield, Bharat Biotech's Covaxin, Russia’s Sputnik V, Moderna’s, Johnson & Johnson’s, and Cadila’s that was approved last week.
Meanwhile, India is yet to approve a vaccine for children. However, with plans to reopen schools abound, the government has decided to give 2 crore additional doses to vaccinate all school teachers on priority. “In addition to the plan to provide vaccines to every state this month, more than 2 crore vaccine doses are being made available. We have requested all the states to try to vaccinate all school teachers on priority before Teachers' Day, which is celebrated on 5th September,” Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya tweeted in Hindi.
Also read: India's first mRNA Covid-19 vaccine moves to advanced clinical trials Also read: Moderna suspends shipments of vaccine to Japan after reports of contamination