This step will further strengthen our collective fight against the pandemic, said Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.
The Centre partially funded product development and clinical trials through the Department of Biotechnology's, COVID Suraksha programme.
The CEPI will fund the researchers to conduct activities including immunogen design, preclinical studies, manufacturing process development, and a Phase 1 clinical trial.
The WHO said in a statement late on on Saturday that the Covaxin suspension was in response to the outcomes of its post EUL (emergency use authorisation) inspection, held between March 14-22, and the need to conduct process and facility upgrades to address recently identified GMP (good manufacturing practice) deficiencies.
Bharat Biotech on April 1 announced the temporary slowing down of production of its covid-19 vaccine Covaxin across its manufacturing facilities, having completed its supply obligations to procurement agencies and foreseeing the decrease in demand.
Hyderabad-based vaccine manufacturer Bharat Biotech on Friday announced the temporary slowing down of its Covid vaccine Covaxin's production across its manufacturing facilities.
Bharat Biotech has received approval from the Drug Controller General of India to conduct phase-3 trials for its COVID-19 intra-nasal vaccine (BBV154), sources in the company said on Friday.
Dr Krishna Ella and Suchitra Ella, the couple behind Bharat Biotech, which developed India's first indigenous vaccine for Covid-19, have been awarded Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award in the country.
COVAXIN Booster Dose Data Shows Promising Results
"Through our clinical trials spanning 30,000 individuals, approximately 10-20 per cent individuals report side effects. Most of these are mild, resolve within 1-2 days, and do not require medication. Medication is only recommended only after you consult a physician," the company said.
According to a source, Bharat Biotech aims to conduct clinical trials on 5,000 healthy subjects: half or 2,500 individuals who have received Covishield and another 2,500 who have been administered Covaxin.
No serious adverse event was reported. 374 subjects reported either mild or moderate severity symptoms with 78.6 per cent getting resolved within one day.
"It is a big concern if it plays in view of the driver, for sure," Jonathan Adkins, executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association, which coordinates state efforts to promote safe driving, was quoted as saying.
The phase 3 trial Efficacy and Safety Study involving 25,800 volunteers across 25 sites in India is India's largest ever clinical trial conducted for a Covid-19 vaccine.
Covaxin uses the same Vero Cell manufacturing platform as other childhood vaccines, including the inactivated polio vaccine.