The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has initiated a multi-centre clinical trial, titled “A Phase II, Open Label, Randomized Controlled Trial to Assess the Safety and Efficacy of Convalescent Plasma to Limit COVID19 Associated Complications in Moderate Disease” (PLACID Trial).

The PLACID trial protocol has been registered with the Clinical Trial Registry of India (CTRI). The study has also received approval from the COVID-19 National Ethics Committee (CONEC).

The generic protocol for this study has also been approved by the DCGI, CDSCO. The sample size of the study is 452.

The clinical trial liability insurance has been bought centrally by ICMR.

ICMR has also launched a call inviting letters of interest from sites which had the facilities to undertake the study. Expression of interest was received from 113 institutions. ICMR has so far approved 46 institutions in the PLACID Trial in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Maharshtra, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Bihar, Haryana, Chandigarh and Chhattisgarh.