Speaking to , Dr Asha Kishore, Director, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) said that Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has issued a new call for a multi-centre clinical trial across India and published an ICMR protocol, which is approved by DCGI.
"This proposal is for studying the effect of convalescent plasma therapy in moderate cases of COVID- 19. As the state doesn't have severe cases now, this new protocol for moderate cases is more feasible in Kerala, " she said.
Asha Kishore said that COVID hospitals with blood banks satisfying the eligibility criteria for the trial can apply to ICMR.
"If approved, they can register for the clinical trial. The hospitals under state government that treat COVID-19 cases have applied. Once the state government gets the approval, the transfusion medicine department of SCTIMST which had originally submitted its proposal to the state government may be able to collaborate with the state hospitals with the government's approval, " she said.
SCTIMST is an institute of national importance under the Department of Science and Technology. It had received the clearances from the ICMR to conduct clinical trials for plasma therapy.
The plasma therapy uses antibodies from the blood of a recovered COVID-19 patient to treat another patient. Till now in the country, it has been carried out to treat critically ill patients and now it will also be tested on moderate COVID-19 cases.
( With inputs from ANI )