The researchers at Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh on Sunday (April 26) said that the Mycobacterium w (Mw) vaccine is not a vaccine for coronavirus COVID-19 and will be used only as an adjunct. 


COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

It is to be noted that PGIMER, AIIMS Delhi and AIIMS Bhopal will jointly study the use of Mycobacterium w (heat-killed Mycobacterium indicus pranii) as adjunct to the treatment of COVID-19 patients. The Mw vaccine is normally used to treat leprosy patients. The vaccine was originally developed as an immunomodulator for leprosy and it acts through the toll-like receptor pathway and enhances host-T cell responses. 


"In a recently concluded multi-center trial, we found that Mw reduces mortality in ICU patients with severe sepsis. Mw can potentially decrease the cytokine storm seen in patients with COVID-19, and may thus be of potential benefit in managing these patients and decreasing mortality. In the pre-study phase, we assessed safety of Mw in four hospitalized patients with COVID-19, and found no short-term adverse effects. The impact of Mw use on long term safety and efficacy will only be known after conclusion of this CSIR-supported clinical trial, which will be initiated soon at all three centres. It is very early to say about the outcome of results and its use," a PGI spokesperson said.


India has so far reported 826 coronavirus deaths with a mortality rate of 3.1 per cent while world wide it is 7 per cent. The recovery rate in India has been steadily increasing and has gone up to 22% which is much better than other countries of the world. So far, in India as many as 5,913 people have been cured of the COVID-19 infection.