Wockhardt Hospital, Mumbai Central gets approval from DCGI to conduct convalescent plasma therapy trials

It will soon conduct trials on 20 patients to ascertain success of plasma therapy

India is reeling under Coronavirus, for more than two months. To fight coronavirus, Wockhardt Hospital, Mumbai Central has got approval from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) to conduct convalescent plasma therapy trials on patients infected with coronavirus. It will soon conduct trials on 20 patients to ascertain the success of plasma therapy.

Wockhardt Hospital, Mumbai Central, has collected plasma from donors and would be commencing the trials soon.

The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has approved our application to initiate convalescent plasma therapy trials, last week. In April, the Government of India and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) came up with the proposal to start the convalescent plasma trial and interested hospitals had to apply for approval. “Many coronavirus patients require hospitalisation and some even become critical and need ICU support. Since there is no standardised treatment available across the world, multiple drugs and therapies are used in combination to treat this disease and this plasma trial is a step in that direction” said Dr Kedar Toraskar, Chief of Critical Care, Wockhardt Hospitals, Mumbai Central.

“This plasma therapy has been used in treating various infectious diseases such as Ebola virus outbreaks previously. Based on that, this therapy is being initiated now,” underscored Dr Behram Pardiwala, Principal Investigator, Plasma trial, Wockhardt Hospital, Mumbai Central

“We have tied up with a blood bank where our donors donate their plasma and as per the trial requirements, the plasma will be given to suitable patients. After identifying a donor we take his consent and he / she undergoes all the required tests like pre-screening of antibodies before taking up the patient for plasma donation.  We collect around 500 ml plasma per donor and the dosing will be given by our clinicians as per our approved protocol. Moreover, the person can donate plasma once, in a month,” concluded Dr Parag Rindani, Centre Head, Wockhardt Hospitals.