Made In India vaccines for Coronavirus get green signal for second phase of trial

It seems that the much awaited end of the deadly pandemic is near too soon. Going by Vocal for Local mantra, two Made in India COVID-19 vaccine candidates have got an approval for human trials.

Striking an optimistic note, a letter by the Ministry of Science and Technology said there were more than 100 vaccine candidates in the world currently, of which 11 were in human trials.

"The nod by Drug Controller General of India, CDSCO (Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation), for conduct of human trial for vaccines, marks the beginning of the end," the ministry's letter added.

The ministry also said manufacturers of two of the leading candidates - AZD1222 (British firm AstraZeneca) and MRNA-1273 (US-based Moderna) - had signed production agreements with Indian companies should their vaccines prove safe and effective.

The ministry's statement comes amid a row over a letter by the ICMR (Indian Council for Medical Research) setting August 15 - Independence Day - as the target for releasing a coronavirus vaccine.

"ICMR's process is exactly in accordance with globally accepted norms to fast-track vaccine development," the agency said.

Dozens of vaccine candidates are at various stages of development around the world to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.

India, a leading manufacturer of vaccines and generic medicines, is expected to play a key role in this race. The country is among the four worst affected by the COVID-19 virus, with more than 6.7 lakh confirmed cases so far.

It certainly marks the "beginning of the end" for the novel coronavirus pandemic that has infected over 1.12 crore people worldwide and left more than 5.3 lakh dead, the government said on Sunday.