J&J submits plea for COVID-19 vaccine trial on 12-17 years in India

US pharma major Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has applied for permission to conduct clinical trials of its single-shot COVID-19 vaccine on adolescents aged 12-17 years in India. The company has moved an application to the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) seeking approval. 

The coronavirus vaccine developed by J&J has demonstrated 85% efficacy in staving off severe COVID-19 disease in its phase 3 trials.

In a brief statement released on Friday, the US-based pharma company said it had submitted its application on Tuesday. 

Also Read: Johnson & Johnson seeks approval for its single dose Covid-19 vaccine in India

It added that it was "imperative" to make sure that all sections of the population, comprising children, were vaccinated against coronavirus at the earliest.

 "To ultimately achieve herd immunity, it is imperative that COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials continue to move forward in this population, and we remain deeply committed to the critical work needed to make our COVID-19 vaccine equitably accessible for all age groups," the statement read.

Earlier in August, J&J's single-dose COVID-19 vaccine was granted emergency use approval (EUA) in India, the Union health minister had stated that the permission will further encourage India's collective fight against the coronavirus infection.

The five COVID vaccines granted EUA in India are Serum Institute's Covishield, Bharat Biotech's Covaxin, Russia's Sputnik V, Moderna and now Johnson & Johnson (J&J).

Also Read: J&J exploring ways to expedite COVID-19 vaccine delivery in India