One thousand volunteers have been invited to enrol at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) medical college to participate in the clinical trials for Covaxine that will begin from November 14 and continue till the end of January.

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These will be a series of large-scale clinical trials held at AMU's Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College (JNMC) aimed at evaluating the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine study led by the Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech. AMU Vice Chancellor Professor Tariq Mansoor said that JNMC has enhanced the preparations for the trails after a nod from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

Appealing volunteers from all age groups and socio-economic strata to participate in the clinical trials, Mansoor said, "By volunteering for a trial or study, you get a chance to participate in ground-breaking research and contribute to developing better cures and treatment options. "People from various backgrounds are invited to be part of the solution and help end the pandemic."

Prof Shahid Ali Siddiqui, principal, JNMC, said "An ethical committee comprising doctors, social workers and lawyers has already been constituted to manage the clinical trials." During the human testing for COVID vaccine at JNMC, the vaccine efficacy will be evaluated in different ways across the trial spectrum. The earlier clinical trials will look for the production of antibodies against the virus, while the late-phase trials will evaluate whether the vaccine in fact prevents people from getting sick.

These trials will provide a pivotal demonstration that the vaccine both works and is safe. Volunteers appearing for the trails at JNMC will be given detailed information of the vaccine. The JNMC has also been conducting convalescent plasma therapy for the treatment of COVID-19 patients since August.