Rohit Shishodia
Indian Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has launched a website developed by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) that gives comprehensive information about the numerous Covid-19 clinical trials that CSIR is working on in partnership with industry, other government departments and ministries.

The website, called CuRED (CSIR Ushered Repurposed Drugs), provides information about the drugs, diagnostics and devices, including the current stage of the trials, partnering institutions and their role in the trials and other details. The site can be accessed at https://www.iiim.res.in/cured/  or http://db.iiim.res.in/ct/index.php.

According to Union Ministry of Science and Technology, CSIR is exploring multiple combination clinical trials of anti-virals with host-directed therapies for the potential treatment of Covid-19.

The ministry has informed that CSIR is also working with the Ministry of AYUSH for clinical trials of Ayush drugs and has undertaken safety and efficacy trials of Ayush prophylactics and therapeutics based on individual plant-based compounds and in combination.

The ministry has informed that five clinical trials involving Withaniasomnifera, Tinosporacordifolia + Piper longum(in combination), Glycyrrhizaglabra, Tinosporacordifolia & Adhatodavasica (individually and in combination) and Ayush-64 formulation are undergoing safety and efficacy trials.

The ministry has said that a key clinical trial of CSIR is the Sepsivac (Mw) against Covid -19 in partnership with Cadila. The phase 2 clinical trial has been completed successfully on critically ill Covid-19 patients, and more extensive phase 3 trial is on the anvil.

“Further, the Phase 2 trial of phytopharmaceutical AQCH on Covid-19 patients with Sun Pharma and DBT is also underway. In addition to clinical trials of repurposed drugs and vaccines, CSIR has been involved in clinical trials of diagnostics and devices,” states a ministry press note.