Kolkata among 20 venues for Ph-III clinical trial of dengue vax

Kolkata: The National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Disease (NICED) in Kolkata is one of the 20 venues in the country to begin the third phase dengue vaccine trial. It happens at a time when there has been a considerable spike in the state.

According to sources in NICED, around 500 volunteers have been shortlisted for the clinical trials but the trial of the vaccine will only be conducted on 250 volunteers. Dengue vaccine will be applied on 10,000 people across the country in a clinical trial. NICED is making all arrangements to conduct the trail in Kolkata.

A leading vaccine manufactaurer in the country recently received permission for Phase-1 trial of the dengue vaccine. There is no vaccine for dengue in the country at the moment. The manufacturing company has completed all animal trials and now, it have been granted permission for human trials.

The particular company is developing the dengue vaccine in collaboration with the US-based National Institute of Health (NIH).

There are two other dengue vaccines being developed by two agencies — Panacea Biotec Limited and Sanofi India Private Limited. Both have got permission for clinical trials. Panacea Biotec Limited has completed Phase-1 and Phase-2 trials.

According to the National Centre for Vector Borne Diseases Control (NCVBDC), around 1,93,245 cases of dengue and 346 deaths were reported across the country last year.

Earlier, NICED conducted clinical trials of Covid vaccine as well. Phase III trial of Covaxin was carried out here in Kolkata. The city has a prevalence of dengue subtype III cases so far as it has come up in serotyping, sources in the Health department said. The state Health department had sent around 50 samples of dengue-infected patients to the NICED for serotyping. The results say that out of 50 samples, around 35 have been found to be dengue subtype III while around 10 are dengue subtype II and two are dengue subtype I.

Experts said that unlike 2017-18 when dengue subtype II and IV were prevalent, this year, platelets are going down in patients as it was observed in the previous years.

Health conditions of dengue patients are turning critical without platelets going down. This has been an unusual trend this year.