NEW DELHI: The human trials of Covaxin, the first Indian vaccine for COVID-19 has started, authorities of Bharat Biotech International Limited has said. BBIL which developed India's first potential indigenous COVID-19 vaccine said that testing has begun on 375 people. A report in the Hindustan Times said that BBIL said that the human trials of Covaxin started on July 15. The company has jointly developed the vaccine along with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

Earlier this month, it was reported that the Belagavi Jeevan Sakhi Multi Speciality hospital would be among the units where the multi city clinical trial of the vaccine would be conducted. Trials would also be conducted at the AIIMS, Delhi and Hyderabad as well as at the Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad.

The drug has been developed by the Hyderabad based Bharat Biotech and is known as Covaxin. The Drug Controller General of India had granted permission to initiate Phase I and II human clinical trials after the company submitted results generated from pre-clinical studies, demonstrating safety and immune response. During the trial researchers would examine the vaccine's efficacy with a single dose as well a double dose on the 1st and 14th day.