PANDEMIC AND “INfODEMIC”

Dear Reader, With the passage of about one year since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, huge amounts of scientific research data on COVID-19 are being generated daily and we have thus substantial information and understanding of the disease. While treatment with known anti-viral drugs, monoclonal antibodies, steroids and APIs continues, focus is now on the development and manufacturing of effective vaccines to protect the population at large. Several Indian companies are already conducting pan-India clinical trials of different vaccines. Bharat Biotech, in cooperation with the Indian Council of Medical Research and the National Institute of Virology, has developed a whole-virion inactivated vaccine on an inactivated platform, which will be administered intramuscularly in two doses (0, 28d). Biological E. is clinically evaluating its adjuvant protein subunit (RBD) vaccine on a protein subunit platform, again administered intramuscularly in two doses (0, 28d). Cadila Healthcare has developed a DNA plasmid vaccine on a DNA platform, administered intradermally in three doses (0, 28, 56d). Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, together with the Russian Direct Investment Fund, will be conducting clinical trials of the Sputnik V adenovirus-based vaccine on non-replicating viral vector platform (developed by the Gamaleya National Research Institute). The Serum Institute of India, together with ICMR, is conducting clinical trials of the ChAdOx1-S AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine on a non-replicating viral vector, also administered intramuscularly in two doses (0, 28d).