In a major development on Monday, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) gave a nod to holding clinical trial of COVID-19 vaccine in the country.

According to a document, signed by Drap Clinical Studies Committee secretary Shafqat Hussain Danish, and available with Dawn, the committee recommended that the trial be held in Indus Hospital, Karachi.

This test will be carried out by the International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences, Karachi, in collaboration with a Chinese company already conducting trials in China.

As many as 200 volunteers from Karachi, representing various ethnic groups, have been registered. The trial will be completed in 56 days during which three injections of inactivated virus will be administered to the volunteers — both male and female.

The document said the National Data Safety Monitoring Committee will closely monitor the safety of the patients and submit reports on a monthly basis.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1575014/drap-approves-clinical-trial-of-COVID-19-vaccine