The Evening Wrap: Oxford University resumes COVID-19 vaccine trial

The Hindu Newsletter - Here are the latest updates and the big news stories to follow today [The Hindu Logo]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Youtube]( [Linkedin]( [Instagram]( Saturday 12, September 2020 [alt_text]( The Evening Wrap [Here are the biggest news stories of the day]( [alt_text]( Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. We hope you are staying safe. Oxford vaccine: DCGI directs Serum Institute of India to suspend recruitment for trials The Drugs Controller General Of India (DCGI) has [directed that there should be no new recruitment](for the Phase 2 and Phase 3 trials of the Oxford University’s Covishield vaccine candidate that is being manufactured in India by the Serum Institute of India (SII), along with pharma major AstraZeneca. The SII has also been asked to increase the safety monitoring of the subjects who have already been vaccinated as part of the trial, and submit the plan and report. The latest order comes after it asked the SII to pause trials of the vaccine candidate following a U.K. volunteer showing potentially adverse symptoms. In its order, DCGI V.G. Somani on Friday also directed the SII to submit clearance from Data and Safety Monitoring Board in the U.K. and obtain clearance from his office prior to resumption of future recruitment in the trial. Prior to pausing the trials in India by the SII, the DCGI had issued a show-cause notice to the company on September 9 for not informing it about AstraZeneca pausing clinical trials of the vaccine candidate in other countries. Meanwhile, Oxford University & AstraZeneca resume trial Oxford University, in a statement today said that it was [resuming trials of its coronavirus vaccine]( across all UK clinical trial sites. It did not, however, specify from what date the trials will resume. “Globally some 18,000 individuals have received study vaccines as part of the trial. In large trials such as this, it is expected that some participants will become unwell and every case must be carefully evaluated to ensure careful assessment of safety,” the statement said. [ The logo of AstraZeneca ] The logo of AstraZeneca The statement further said that their “standard review process triggered a study pause” across all global trials to allow the review of safety data by an independent safety review committee. “The independent review process has concluded, and following the recommendations of both, the independent safety review committee and the UK regulator, the MHRA [Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency], the trials will recommence in the UK.” Pharma giant AstraZeneca, too, on Saturday said in a separate statement that it had resumed the vaccine trials after getting the all-clear from British regulators. One may remember that it had announced on Wednesday that it had “voluntarily paused” its trial of the vaccine, developed alongside Oxford University, after a volunteer developed an unexplained illness. “Clinical trials for the AstraZeneca Oxford coronavirus vaccine, AZD1222, have resumed in the U.K. following confirmation by the Medicines Health Regulatory Authority (MHRA) that it was safe to do so,” the company said in a statement. Sitaram Yechury, Yogendra Yadav, Jayati Ghosh, Apoorvanand and Rahul Roy named as co-conspirators in the Delhi riots case The Delhi Police have named CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, Swaraj Abhiyan leader Yogendra Yadav, economist Jayati Ghosh, Delhi University professor and activist Apoorvanand, and documentary filmmaker Rahul Roy as co-conspirators in the February [Delhi riots](, PTI reported. The names appeared in a supplementary charge sheet filed by the police. They were made accused on the basis of confessions obtained from two members of the women’s collective Pinjra Tod, Devangana Kalita and Natasha Narwal, and Jamia Milia Islamia student Gulfisha Fathima. The charge sheet claims that apart from Yechury and Yogendra Yadav, Fathima’s statement mentions Bhim Army chief Chandrasekhar, United Against Hate activist Umar Khalid and some leaders from the Muslim community, including ex-MLA Mateen Ahmed, and MLA Amannatullah Khan. PLA hands over five Arunachal youth to India The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China on Saturday [handed over to the Indian army the five Arunachal Pradesh youth]( who had strayed into Chinese territory. They were handed over to the Indian army more than 800 km east of where they had strayed beyond the McMahon Line separating the two countries. The five will be handed over to their families in Nacho area of Upper Subansiri district after spending 14 days in quarantine as per Covid-19 protocol, Army officials said. [The five Indian youth handed over by China’s People’s Liberation Army to Indian Army at Kibithu in Arunachal Pradesh’s Anjaw district on September 12, 2020. ]The five Indian youth handed over by China’s People’s Liberation Army to Indian Army at Kibithu in Arunachal Pradesh’s Anjaw district on September 12, 2020. “Our personnel received the five youths at Kibithu after completing all formalities. They will be quarantined for the specified period,” said Lt. Col. P. Khongsai, the Guwahati-based Defence spokesperson. The five teenagers had gone hunting at the Tungdara Mountain or Sera-7 close to the McMahon Line. They strayed into the Chinese side on September 2 and were reportedly captured by the PLA. The Indian Army communicated with the PLA on hotline for tracing and returning them. Army officials said the PLA responded on September 8 to confirm that the missing individuals had been traced. Family members of the youth – mostly teenagers – said a few of the boys were working as porters for the Army along the LAC. “Now that they are back in the country, it doesn’t matter how they went to the other side. We are grateful to the Indian Army for helping bring them back, but the government should focus on developing our backward area so that people do not have to risk their lives for sustenance,” said Prakash Ringling, the brother of Prasad Ringking, one of the boys who had gone missing. Delhi Assembly panel summons Facebook India chief Ajit Mohan The Delhi Assembly Committee on Peace and Harmony under the Chairmanship of Raghav Chadha has [summoned Facebook India Vice-President and Managing Director Ajit Mohan]( on Tuesday for recording his statement before the committee. On August 31, the committee had said that prima facie it seemed that Facebook had a role in the Delhi riots earlier this year, and Facebook India officials will be issued notices to appear at the next meeting of the committee. The committee is looking into alleged “deliberate and intentional” inaction by Facebook to contain “hateful content”. [ Ajit Mohan, Managing Director of Facebook India. ] Ajit Mohan, Managing Director of Facebook India. “The committee, under the Chairmanship of Hon’be MLA Sh. Raghav Chadha, calls you, the addressee, as a witness for testifying on oath and for rendering your assistance by providing the relevant information and explanations in order to smoothly expedite the determination of the veracity of allegations levelled against Facebook in the complaints and depositions made before the committee,” the notice dated September 10 read. It may be recollected that the Opposition, especially the Congress, has been demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into alleged collusion between Facebook India and the BJP. Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments The number of reported [coronavirus]( cases from India stood at 47,43,472 at the time of publishing this newsletter, with the death toll at 78,571. In Brief: Civil rights lawyer Prashant Bhushan has moved the Supreme Court for a declaration upholding the right of appeal of a person found guilty of contempt. Bhushan was recently punished for contempt with a nominal fine of ₹1. He was found guilty of scandalising the Supreme Court with his tweets. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. 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