Risky and impossible: India's scientific community on ICMR's claim to produce Covid-19 vaccine by Aug 15

AIIMS director Randeep Guleria, who is the head of the clinical research group of the national task force on Covid, told The Indian Express, "It will be a very challenging and difficult task, considering that we have to look at both efficacy and safety of any vaccine that is introduced.

"Also, if we get the desired results, the other challenge is the process of mass production of the vaccine."

Virologist Shaheed Jameel, the chief executive of the Wellcome Trust-DBT Alliance that funds health research in India, said as quoted by the daily, "I fear the global scientific community would be laughing at us for this. It should not have happened. India is a serious player in science."

"Who is going to trust us if we behave like this? Who is going to believe us even if we indeed come up with a good vaccine tomorrow?… And I am appalled at the kind of language used in the letter. It is not a letter, it reads like a threat," he added.

ICMR partners with Bharat Biotech to launch Covid-19 by Aug 15

The ICMR has partnered with Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) to fast-track the clinical trials of Covid-19 vaccine, giving India a chance to come up with its indigenous cure for the deadly virus.

ICMR director general Balram Bhargava said in a statement as quoted by Zee News, "It is envisaged to launch the vaccine for public health use latest by 15th August 2020 after completion of all clinical trials. BBIL is working expeditiously to meet the target, however, final outcome will depend on the cooperation of all clinical trial sites involved in this project."

The statement further read, "This is the first indigenous vaccine being developed by India and is one of the top priority projects which is being monitored at the topmost level of the Government.

"The vaccine is derived from a strain of SARS-CoV-2 isolated by ICMR-National Institute of Virology, Pune. ICMR and BBIL are jointly working for the preclinical as well as clinical development of this vaccine."

Bharat Biotech's vaccine candidate COVAXIN had received the nod of the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) on Jun 30.

The Drug Controller General of India - CDSCO, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, has already granted permission to start phase I and phase II of human trials after the company showed the preclinical studies, demonstrating safety and immune response.