Combating COVID-19: CSIR working on 10 different vaccines, drug trials

New Delhi [India], May 21 (ANI): Three drug trials to combat COVID-19 have started and seven are in the process, said Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Director-General (DG) Dr Shekhar C Mande on Thursday.
"We have started three drug trials, namely, ACQH, Favipiravir and MW. The MW trial has started very well at three different sites. We bring about seven more into our basket of drug trials, some of which will also be combination therapies. These therapies will also come on to the trial combination of two kinds of drugs, possibly one targeting the virus and the other targeting the host," Dr Mande told ANI.
"Of the 10 trials, three trials are going on and for seven trials, we are waiting for approval from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI). The DCGI will examine our papers and they will, of course, give approvals. We are expecting approval for remaining seven trials in another 10 to 15 days," he added.
Dr Mande informed that CSIR is also working on four Ayush formulation, which is a collaboration between Ayush Ministry and CSIR.
"These four formulations are ashwagandha, yashtimadhu, Gudruchi Pipli and Ayush-64. These four formulations have already come into the clinical trial registry. We have already identified the hospital. So the trial should start in a day or two," he said.
Dr Mande further said that CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (IICB), Kolkata, has got approval from the DCGI to start therapy on convalescent plasma.
"Multiple hospitals in India are trying convalescent plasma therapy. In this therapy, the plasma is taken from the person who has recovered from the infection and then it is given to the person affected with the COVID-19 with the hope that antibody generated in the recovered person will help affected person to fight the virus," he said.
"IICB, Kolkata, got approval from the DCGI to start therapy on convalescent plasma. They have tied up with few hospitals in Kolkata and have begun trials now," he added. (ANI)