Kathmandu, Aug 27

The government has initiated discussions on the prospects of conducting clinical trial of COVID-19 in Nepal.

The Nepal Health Research Council has forwarded research about the vaccines against the deadly infection developed by Russia, China, India and Oxford University of the UK.

These countries have been keen on conducting third round of clinical trial of the vaccines they developed, according to the Council. The Council will grant permission for vaccine and medicine for clinical trial only after conducting research on its own.

A team of researchers and scientists will be formed who will do the needful when it comes to examining the vaccines and offering recommendations to the Council. Council’s executive director Dr Pradeep Gyawali shared that the Council has begun the process to conduct research on the COVID-19. The Council has permitted the hospitals in Nepal to use plasma therapy to treat the COVID-19 infected persons.

Russia has developed ‘Sputnik V’ vaccine which it wants to provide to Nepal free of cost for clinical trial. The Russian Embassy in Kathmandu has pledged to provide support in developing the Sputnik V in Nepal too.

Similarly, discussions would be held whether to use or not use the COVID-19 vaccine developed by China’s Sinovac Biotech. India has developed antiviral drug named ‘Remdesivir’ that has been approved by the Department of Drugs Administration for treatment of the critically infected ones.

The World Health Organization is, however, yet to approve any of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Russia, India, China and the UK.