India is just awaiting the green light from its scientists and health experts for the mass production of the country's long-awaited COVID-19 vaccines, Prime Minister Narendra Modi disclosed during his Independence Day speech on Saturday.
Modi also announced a new health program called National Digital Health Mission to boost the country's healthcare infrastructure. The NDHM is seen to digitize medical documents and includes a database of physicians and health centers across India.
Three COVID-19 vaccines are currently being tested to make sure a treatment reaches every people in India, Modi said, as he honored those in the frontlines fighting the pandemic that is spreading across the country.
The prime minister said that "as many as three" COVID-19 vaccines are clinically tested, pointing out that with mass-production, the vaccine's distribution in the fastest way possible is ready.
Indian pharmaceutical groups have developed two of the three potential drugs that have entered the human testing phase in the country. Hyderabad-headquartered Bharat Biotech International Ltd., in partnership with India's Council of Medical Research's National Institute of Virology (PUNE), are examining an inactivated strain of coronavirus to produce an immune response.
Indian scientists, Modi stressed, are doing their best in testing three vaccines in various phases, and as soon as the go-signal is given the government will commence with large-scale production. "We've made all the necessary preparations," he said.
Modi also said that every test, health issue, prescription, and reports will be included in the health identification system. "All issues about appointments and payments will be resolved in the new health program," he said.
India is fast-tracking efforts to produce a locally-made treatment. Bharat Biotech was granted regulatory approval to begin human trials for its candidate vaccine from India's highest medical research committee. According to sources, the experimental drug will enter Stage 2 trials next month.
Two other pharmaceutical groups – Serum Institute of India and Zydus Cadila – are also testing their own experimental vaccines. Oxford University, in tandem with the UK-Swedish biotech giant AstraZeneca is developing a third vaccine. Serum Institute of India will make 1 billion shots, and if proven safe and effective, will proceed to a more extensive third phase test.
India has one of the fastest growing cases of the disease, adding as many as 60,000 infections per day. The country has the highest confirmed cases, next to the U.S. and Brazil with over 2.5 million and registered nearly 50,000 mortalities.
