Agencies

India's indigenous vaccine candidate from Bharat Biotech in collaboration with ICMR, began human trials across the country in 375 volunteers, the company sources said on saturday.

�India's first indigenous COVID-19 vaccine initiated phase-1 clinical trials across the country on 15th July 2020. This is a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial in 375 volunteers in India,� the source said.The double-blind trials mean that neither the researchers nor the volunteers know-how who is given the vaccine, and who are given a placebo.

The DCGI, India, had granted approval to two vaccine candidates in India � one developed by Bharat Biotech, while the other is being developed by Zydus Cadila. Both the candidates have begun trials to test the efficacy and safety of the vaccines.

Covaxin began the trials at AIIMS, Patna, followed by another trial at PGI, Rohtak. Zydus Cadila also said that they aim to finish the trials in 7 months.