300 from Kol to undergo ZyCov-D trial

Kolkata: Covid-19 vaccine ZyCov-D will be sent for clinical trial to find out the efficacy of its two-dose regime.

The vaccine’s three dose schedule was already approved in August but is yet to get rolled out. Now, the efficacy of the two dose regime will be studied in India on 3,000 volunteers, including 300 at Kolkata’s Peerless Hospital. “Our hospital ethics committee has already given the green light. We expect to start this study when the vials arrive and that should be by this weekend or next week beginning,” said Peerless clinical and academics director Subhrojyoti Bhowmick, co-principal investigator with Ajoy Sarkar, director critical care unit.

The already approved vaccine by Zydus Cadila was being administered in three shots on day 0, 28 and 56. Now, the upcoming trial will have the vaccine being given in two shots – on day 0 and 28. But the quantity of will remain the same 6 mg per person. Vaccine Sputnik Light is also set to undergo trial in some hospitals in Kolkata including Ruby General Hospital.