Serum Institute halts COVID vaccine trials in India

New Delhi: The Serum Institute of India (SII), which was conducting the India trials for the coronavirus vaccine being developed by Oxford University, on Thursday paused the clinical trials of the vaccine in India.

In a statement, the Serum Institute of India said: "We are reviewing the situation and pausing India trials till AstraZeneca restarts the trials. We are following DCGI's instructions and will not be able to comment further on trials."

The declaration by the Pune-based vaccine manufacturer came a day after the Drug Control General of India (DCGI), V.G. Somani, issued a show-cause notice to them asking for an explanation as to why the institute decided to go ahead with the clinical trial of Covid-19 vaccine candidate while doubts about patient safety are yet unclear.

The notice was issued in the wake of an advert incident where one of the participants in the UK reported a suspected severe adverse reaction when administered a booster dose of Covishield, a vaccine candidate developed jointly by the pharma giant AstraZeneca and University of Oxford, on Tuesday.

"Whereas, Serum Institute of India Pvt Ltd, Pune, till now has not informed the Central licensing authority regarding pausing the clinical trial carried out by AstraZeneca in other countries and also not submitted casualty analysis of the reported serious adverse event with the investigational vaccine for the continuation of phase 2 and 3 clinical trials of the subject vaccine in the country in light of the safety concerns," the notice by DGCI read.

The DGCI further asked the institute why the authority does not suspend the permission given to the SII for the clinical trials of Covishield.

"In view of the above, I, Dr V G Somani, Drugs Controller General of India and Central Licensing Authority hereby give you an opportunity to show cause as provided under rule 30 of the New Drugs and Clinical Trials Rules, 2019, why the permission granted to you August 2 shall not be suspended till patient safety is established," the notice further said.

SII is the partner of the University of Oxford's Jenner Institute's to conduct the vaccine trials. SII is currently progressing the second and third phase study of the vaccine candidate at 17 trial sites across India.

Read also: Suspension of Covishield trials in UK spells havoc for Astrazeneca and Serum Institute of India