Haffkine Institute gets approval for BCG trial

MUMBAI: The Haffkine Institute got permission to run clinical trials of the anti-tuberculosis Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine to treat Covid-19 patients. The trials will be conducted at BJ Medical College, Pune.

The institute in Mumbai’s Parel had submitted the proposal to the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) last month as a therapeutic treatment. “The vaccine helps to improve the immune system among people, so it is believed that it can be used as a therapeutic treatment for patients with Covid-19. Preliminary research has shown that it has helped to neutralise the virus to some extent,” said Dr. Sanjay Mukherjee, secretary, Medical Education and Drugs Department (MEDD).

Around 35 people with moderate and severe infection will be part of the trial.