390 volunteer as new phase of trials kicks off
390 volunteer as new phase of trials kicks off
After completing the first phase of H1N1 vaccine trials in Delhi last year, Panacea Biotec Ltd started the second phase of trials in the city and Pimpri-Chinchwad yesterday.
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A total of 390 children and adults will be given Trivalent Inactivated Influenza Vaccine (TIIV) to test the overall efficacy of the vaccine, of which 195 candidates will be from the city and the rest from Pimpri-Chichwad. The trials are taking place at Shaishav Children Hospital on Laxmi Road and D Y Patil Medical College in Pimpri.
Dr Ram Dhongade, paediatrician and director of Shaishav Children Hospital, said, "On the first day we conducted the test on 82 children and adults and the remaining trial for phase II will be complete in the next two days."
The second dose will be given after 21 days for the antibody titer test. "We are submitting our report to the company by the third month with our observations. The actual vaccine is expected to come out in the market soon," he said.
Assuring that the trials will be safe, Dhongade said that the results in some Eurpoean countries indicate that there are no side effects. "The trials are also taking place at Indore, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata," said Dhongade.
Panacea Biotec Ltd has entered into an advance marketing agreement with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for supplying its given Trivalent Inactivated Influenza Vaccine under the brand name of Pandyflu.
Former vice chancellor of Maharashtra Health University Dr Mrudula Phadke, currently a consultant to UNICEF, confirmed that the clinical test for Panacea vaccine has started.
Clinical tests for the H1N1 vaccine developed by Serum Institute of India Ltd that have been going on for about a month are reaching the final stage.
According to official sources, the trials are going on at two places in the city.
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