(IN): H1N1 vaccine: Serum Institute for animal trials by month-end

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http://www.indianexpress.com/news/h1n1-vaccine-serum-institute-for-animal-trials\

-by-monthend/499080/

 

*H1N1 vaccine: Serum Institute for animal trials by month-end*

 

 

With H1N1 cases rising in the city, the Serum Institute of India — which is

conducting the vaccine trials — is set to carry out the same on animals by

the month-end. With pressure from the government to speed up the process,

the institute plans to conduct trials on humans by the year-end. It was in

April that the World Health Organisation gave the institute a contract to

develop and manufacture the vaccine.

 

“We will be conducting the trials on animals by the last week of August and

test the efficacy of the vaccine in September. By October, we will be

testing the toxicity and by end of the year, we should be able to conduct

the trials on humans,” said Dr Rajeev Dhere, director of the vaccine

production unit at the institute.

 

A senior health officer said the department is monitoring the progress of

the vaccine. “We have told them to speed up the process, considering the

rising number of cases. We need to bring out the vaccine as soon as

possible.”

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Dr Dhere said they are doing all they can. “However, the vaccine has its

stages and we cannot do anything to accelerate them. We are a team of 50

people and are working round the clock. The institute is in talks with both

the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) and the Indian Council of

Medical Research (ICMR) to reduce the administrative time frame,” he said.

 

Dhere said by the last week of August they would be able to test the

“immunogenecity in animals” in discussion with experts. According to Dhere,

there are no paucity of funds, infrastructure or manpower for the project.

 

Besides the Serum Institute, Bharat Biotech International Limited,

Hyderabad, and Panacea Biotech Ltd, New Delhi, are also working to develop

the H1N1 vaccine. The institute had received the H1N1 virus strain from the

UK-based National Institute for Biological Standards and Control.

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