The government has allowed the pharmaceutical major GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to conduct ‘quick’ clinical trials

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for its vaccine against swine flu. Talks are also on with other global companies, including Novartis, Sanofi-Aventis and Baxter, to carry out similar trials in India.

R K Srivastava, director- general of health services, told media on Tuesday: “In normal clinical trials one has to test the safety and efficacy of a drug in over 7,000 volunteers. But, given the situation, we have decided to grant marketing approval to GSK after successful trials on 600 volunteers.”

He said that, subject to successful human clinical trials, the vaccine would be available by December. The health ministry will make an initial purchase of over 10 million doses from GSK.

GSK, Novartis, Baxter, Sanofi Aventis and other drug companies are already conducting clinical trials for the vaccine in other countries. It was the Indian government which asked them to start trials here, a senior health ministry official told Financial Chronicle.

An e-mail query sent to GSK on the details of the vaccine, including price at it would be sold to the government, did not elicit a response.

On its official website, GSK said it had received interest from several governments aiming to stockpile the new candidate vaccine. “The UK government would be supplied 60 million doses, while the French government intends to purchase 50 million doses. Belgium intends to purchase 12.6 million doses, while the company has agreed to supply 5.3 million doses to Finland,” the web statement said.

Shares of GlaxoSmithKilne closed up 0.58 per cent at Rs 1,441.60 on the Bombay Stock Exchange on Tuesday.

The Indian government has also granted approval to three Indian companies -- Serum Institute, Bharat Biotech and Panacea Biotech --- to work on the development of the vaccine. The companies are expected to come up with the vaccine by March, Srivastava said.

The government has also decided to procure 24 more thermal scanners to be placed at major airports. Six are already working in Delhi and Mumbai. Each scanner costs about Rs 10 lakh.

Till Tuesday the country reported 4,101 H1N1 positive cases, with 101 deaths.