India's first viral antidote may originate in Oxford

 

With the search to find a vaccine intensifying by the day, the problem remains when the planet can get the much-anticipated cure to the lethal contagion. Last week, top US expert Anthony Fauci said in an interview with an American broadcaster that he believes the vaccine should be out by the end of this year, or the beginning of next year.

Vaccine developed by University of Oxford and AstraZeneca may be the first antidote to the virus in India. Although locally produced vaccines are also in the race, by the end of 2020 the Oxford vaccine could get the requisite approval. As for clinical trials, the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is still ahead of its Indian counterparts.

"If the vaccine is given the nod, and because it is made in India, it makes sense to use it," a source said.

This week, the Serum Institute of India (SII) aims to begin phase 3 virus vaccine trials.

This week, the Serum Institute of India (SII) aims to begin phase 3 virus vaccine trials. Initially the tests would be carried out across 10 centers in the country. Some 1,600 volunteers would eventually be part of the vaccine trials. In the meantime, Covaxin from Bharat Biotech, and ZyCoV-D from Zydus Cadila are in the early stages of trials.

Across the UK, the Oxford vaccine has also undergone early trials across Phase 1 and 2. The trials showed promising results. The preliminary results show that, within 28 days, the vaccine induces an antibody response similar to people who recovered from the disease. A second booster shot boosted reaction to higher rates. All blood samples from people receiving the booster shots showed neutrality