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From growth of indigenous vaccines to novel point-of-care diagnostics, India has initiated an built-in response to overcome the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, Union minister Harsh Vardhan mentioned on Saturday.
Speaking on the eighth BRICS STI Ministerial Meeting held on Friday, Vardhan mentioned India can be internet hosting medical trials for all the most important vaccines, and about 20 vaccines are in several levels of growth. Two of them are in probably the most superior stage of growth. COVAXIN developed by way of ICMR-Bharat Biotech collaboration and COVISHIELD from the Serum Institute of India. Both are in Phase-III medical trial stage, he added.
“India has initiated an integrated response to overcome this unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. “From the event of indigenous vaccines, novel point-of-care diagnostics and therapeutic formulations based mostly on conventional data, to establishing analysis sources and providing providers, Indian R&D entities, each private and non-private, are working relentlessly to develop efficient interventions for combating the pandemic,” Vardhan, who holds the charge of Health Ministry as well as the Science and Technology Ministry, said.
Valery Falkov, Russian Minister of Science and Higher Education, Marcos Pontes, Brazilian Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Huang Wei, First Vice Minister of Science and Technology, China, Bonginkosi Emmanuel Nzimande, South African Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology and several other dignitaries from member countries participated in the meeting.
Vardhan said more than 100 start-ups have developed innovative products for COVID-19. He mentioned the federal government has introduced a $120 million grant for COVID-19 vaccine research. This is being provided for CovidSuraksha (Mission for protection from Covid) and is to be used purely for research and development in this field, he said. “The grant doesn’t cowl the precise value of the vaccine and its distribution bills, which shall be made individually as and when the vaccine is accessible,” he said.
Vardhan said India is also hosting clinical trials for all the major vaccine contenders. Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, is conducting trials for the vaccine developed by Oxford University, he said. “One of our pharma giants, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, will distribute the Russian vaccine in India after conducting final-stage human trials and receiving regulatory approval,” the minister mentioned.
Vardhan said India will actively contribute in implementation of BRICS STI Calendar of Activities 2020-21 and support continuation of scientific activities under BRICS MOU on Science, Technology and Innovation. The BRICS member leaders applauded India for the ‘SERBPOWER’ (Promoting Opportunities For Women in Exploratory Research) scheme launched last month, the Department of Science and Technology said.
“We have lately launched a scheme ‘SERBPOWER’ to encourage and assist rising in addition to eminent girls researchers to undertake R&D actions in areas of science and engineering. We could consider networking BRICS girls scientists by way of a devoted platform and mechanism,” he added.
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