ICMR nod to pvt hospital to try plasma therapy for COVID-19 patients

Bengaluru, Apr 21 (): A city based private hospitalhas been given the nod by Indian Council of Medical Researchto conduct clinical trials on COVID-19 patients using plasmatherapy.

This was stated by the Drugs Controller General ofIndia in a letter to to HCG Bangalore Institute of OncologySpeciality Centre.

The permission was granted on Monday under the provisionsof New Drugs and Clinical Trial Rules, 2019.

"Grant of permission given to conduct clinical study inIndia entitled "Open label, parallel arm, Phase I/II ClinicalTrial to evaluate safety and efficacy of Convalescent plasmaas therapy for COVID-19 Severe SARS-Cov-2 Disease," DCGI Dr VG Somani said in the letter.

Sharing the letter on his Twitter handle, the Ministerfor Medical Education, Dr K Sudhakar, who himself is a medicalprofessional, wrote, "Plasma therapy holds great promise intreating Covid-19 patients and I am happy to inform ICMRagreed to our request and has given permission for plasmatreatment to Dr. Vishal Rao, HCG Bangalore Inst of Oncology."

Sudhakar tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi, HomeMinister Amit Shah, BJP national president J P Nadda and ChiefMinister B S Yediyurappa while sharing the information. GMS APRRAVINDRANATH APRRAVINDRANATH