The Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) is likely to be selected as one of the centres for Phase-II trial of 'Covaxin', the country's first indigenous vaccine, the Assam Health Minister said on August 14.

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Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech has "successfully completed" Phase-I human clinical trials of the vaccine and Phase-II will start soon, a Minister said at a plasma donation camp. On June 29, Bharat Biotech had announced that it had successfully developed 'Covaxin' in collaboration with Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and National Institute of Virology (NIV). "They (Bharat Biotech) have started the process to have GMCH as one of the centres for Phase-II testing of the vaccine. "It is almost 99 percent sure that GMCH will participate (in Phase-II trials)," the Minister said.

At present, paper work is going on between Bharat Biotech and Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), he added. The Drugs Controller General of India granted permission to Bharat Biotech for Phase-I and II human clinical trials after it had submitted results generated from pre- clinical studies, demonstrating safety and immune response.