Industry & Economy
-
Health
`Phase I trial of AIDS vaccine soon'
Our Bureau
Pune Jan. 12
AMCHI Pune is adding another feather to its cap with the credit going to Ms Pravin Ankalasarya, trained at the Pune-based National Institute of Virology (NIV), developing the AIDS vaccine.
She along with the US-based Targeted Genetics Corporation would help in the manufacture of the AAV (adeno associated virus) vaccine, which would be utilised in the clinical trials for AIDS. This is expected to kick-start in Pune in a couple of months time.
Declaring this at the media workshop organised by the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) and the National Aids Research Institute (NARI), Mr Jean Louis Excler, Medical Director, IAVI, said for the phase I trial with the AAV vaccine, India would be a part of a joint clinical trial effort along with four European sites, two in Belgium and two in Germany. The trial has already obtained all approvals from the European ethical and regulatory bodies and has already commenced in these two countries. About 50 volunteers are participating in the programme.
Mr Sanjay Mahendale, Senior Deputy Director of NARI, said in India about17 volunteers have already come ahead for the clinical trials. Within a couple of months, another 13 more volunteers are expected to come into the fold for the vaccine testing. He noted that they would be grouped in three batches of 10 each and would be given doses of varying strength. Of the 10, about eight would be given the vaccine while the remaining would be given placebo, not exactly the vaccine but one which would help in the scientific study. He said in India, approvals have been obtained from the NARI scientific and ethics committees, the Central Ethics Committee, the Drug Controller General of India and the Health Ministry Steering Committee and the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee.
Article
E-Mail
::
Comment
::
Syndication
::
Printer Friendly Page
|
