Dr Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Science & Technology, Health and Family Welfare and Earth Sciences, has launched a website that gives comprehensive information about the numerous COVID-19 clinical trials that CSIR is engaged in partnership with Industry, other government departments and ministries.

Called CuRED or CSIR Ushered Repurposed Drugs, the website 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.

CSIR is exploring multiple combination clinical trials of anti-virals with host-directed therapies for the potential treatment of COVID-19.

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

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 underway.

In addition to clinical trials of repurposed drugs and vaccines, CSIR has been involved in clinical trials of diagnostics and devices.