Coronavirus vaccine trials: 'Respect the process, be patient for two months,' says Adar Poonawalla

Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla has urged the media to refrain from reporting on interim data. He asked the media to "not bias the process". Poonawalla said that all relevant data would be published after the clinical trials wrap up in two months. Poonawalla's Serum Institute is manufacturing the Oxford University-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine.

"I would kindly request the media to refrain from reporting on interim data coming in about patients on the SII - Covishield clinical trials. Let us not bias the process. Let us respect the process and stay patient for two months, all the relevant data will be published soon," said Poonawalla in a tweet. It was earlier reported that two people were vaccinated on the first day, while some had stated later that five volunteers were inoculated.

SII started Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials of the Oxford vaccine this week. The pharma company had received approval from Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) earlier this month.

The pharma giant would try the COVID-19 vaccine on 1,600 participants from ages 18 to 60. The trials would be conducted across 6 sites in India.

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Andhra Medical College in Visakhapatanam, Seth GS Medical College and KEM Hospital in Mumbai, BJ Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital in Pune, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi are some of the sites that would conduct the trials.

According to the Clinical Trial Registry India,  0.5 ml dose of the coronavirus vaccine will be administered on Day 1 and 29. "Placebo will be administered as two doses on scheduled days one and 29 as 0.5 ml dose intramuscularly," it added.

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