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Covaxin is being developed in partnership with Hyderabad-based company Bharat Biotech India. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said that indigenous Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin will likely be launched by August 15 and has asked clinical trials to be put on fast-track. Covaxin is being developed in partnership with Hyderabad-based company Bharat Biotech India (BBIL) which recently got a nod for phase I and II clinical trials so far. In an official statement, ICMR Director General, Dr Balram Bhargava, had stated that ICMR envisages the launch of the indigenous Covid-19 vaccine by August 15, reported The Indian Express. The ICMR statement stated: "BBIL is working expeditiously to meet the target, however, the final outcome will depend on the cooperation of all clinical trial sites involved in this project. This is the first indigenous vaccine being developed by lndia and is one of the top priority projects which is being monitored at the topmost level of the Government."

Zydus vaccine for Covid-19 (ZyCoV-D) has successfully completed pre-clinical development and received permission to initiate human clinical trials. The vaccine is found to be immunogenic in multiple animal species. Antibodies produced in animal studies are able to completely neutralize the wild type virus, a company statement said. Preclinical toxicity studies find the vaccine to be well tolerated, safe and immunogenic and the company plans to start the human clinical trials in July 2020. Zydus, a global pharmaceutical company, announced that it's plasmid DNA vaccine candidate for Covid-19 (ZyCoV-D) developed indigenously at its Vaccine Technology Centre in Ahmedabad has successfully completed the preclinical phase and has now received permission from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) -- Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) -- to initiate Phase I/II human clinical trials in India. In animal studies the vaccine was found to elicit a strong immune response in