Johnson & Johnson is unlikely to undertake local bridging trials for its single-shot COVID-19 vaccine in India, the Economic Times reported on Tuesday, citing a company spokesperson.
While J&J had sought approval for conducting bridging trials in the country, the U.S.-based drugmaker said it wouldn’t have to do that now since India has scrapped that requirement, according to the report.
The company is exploring how to accelerate the availability of its vaccine in India, the Economic Times said.
J&J said in April it was in talks with India’s government to begin a bridging clinical study of its Janssen COVID-19 vaccine candidate in the country.
In late May, India said it would scrap local trials altogether for “well-established” vaccines manufactured in other countries.
Over 41 million COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered across India last week, with pandemic-induced restrictions being eased further.
Experts have said widespread vaccination remains one of the best tools to avoid the kind of devastation India saw during its second wave of the pandemic.
There is no official confirmation yet from J&J while the reports suggest quoted from unnamed officials from the company. thenewsfacts.com will await official confirmation and report further.
