The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Thursday said that it aims to launch the first made-in-India COVID-19 vaccine being developed in partnership with Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech for public health use by August 15.

A dozen institutes have been selected for clinical trials of the indigenous COVID-19 vaccine (BBV152 COVID vaccine), the government’s top medical research body has said.

The institutes have been asked by the ICMR to step up clinical trials as it is a “priority project” monitored at the topmost level of the government.

“The vaccine is derived from a strain of SARS-CoV-2 isolated by ICMR-National Institute of Virology, Pune. ICMR and BBIL are jointly working for the pre-clinical as well as clinical development of this vaccine,” the ICMR said in a letter to the institutes.

The ICMR talked about plans to launch the vaccine for public health use by August 15, Independence Day.

“It is envisaged to launch the vaccine for public health use latest by 15th August 2020 after completion of all clinical trials,” said the research body.    

The final outcome will depend on the cooperation of all clinical trial sites involved in this project, the ICMR told the institutes, advising them to speed up approvals related to clinical trials and ensure that subjects are enrolled starting this week.

PM Modi had recently held a high-level meeting to take stock on the indigenous vaccine efforts.

Here is all you need to know about India’s first indigenous vaccine for the coronavirus disease:

1) ICMR has partnered with Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) for clinical trials of indigenous vaccine ‘Covaxin’ for the coronavirus disease.

2) Bharat Biotech India Ltd’s COVID-19 vaccine ‘Covaxin’ has become the first candidate developed in India to receive the Drug Controller General of India’s approval to enter human trials.

3) The indigenous, inactivated vaccine was developed and manufactured in Bharat Biotech’s facility located in Genome Valley in Hyderabad.

4) The 12 institutes selected for the clinical trial are located in Visakhapatnam, Rohtak, New Delhi, Patna, Belgaum (Karnataka), Nagpur, Gorakhpur, Kattankulathur (Tamil Nadu), Hyderabad, Arya Nagar, Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh), Goa, and Bhubaneswar-based Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital.

So far, India has two indigenous manufacturers for the potential COVID-19 vaccine. Another potential coronavirus vaccine is indigenously developed by Ahmedabad-based Zydus Cadila Healthcare.

Meanwhile, India reported the highest ever single-day spike of 20,903 COVID-19 cases, according to the data released by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. With this, India’s coronavirus tally has risen to 6,25,544.

The indigenous vaccine being developed in India is one of the top-priority projects which is being monitored at the top-most level of the government, the statement further read. 

“You have been chosen as a clinical trial site of the BBV152 COVID Vaccine. In view of the public health emergency due to COVID-19 pandemic and urgency to launch the vaccine, you are strictly advised to fast track all approvals related to the initiation of the clinical trial and ensure that the subject enrollment is initiated no later than 7th July 2020,” ICMR’s statement read.

India has over 6 lakh reported cases of coronavirus with over 19,000 deaths until July 2.

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