Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has directed Serum Institute of India to suspend till further orders new recruitment in phase 2 and 3 clinical trials of the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine candidate in the backdrop of pharma giant AstraZeneca pausing the trials in other countries. Following which the Pune-based firm, which has partnered with the British-Swedish biopharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca for manufacturing the Oxford vaccine candidate, on Thursday said it is pausing the clinical trials in India. Earlier this week, AstraZeneca said it had paused the trials because of 'an unexplained illness' in a participant in the study. "We are reviewing the situation and pausing India trials till AstraZeneca restarts the trials," SII said in a statement on Thursday. On August 2, the DCGI had granted permission to the Pune-based SII to conduct Phase 2 and 3 human clinical trials of the coronavirus vaccine candidate.

Source: Mint September 11, 2020 18:11 UTC