The ICMR move may come as a blow to Project Platina, the world’s biggest clinical trial of plasma therapy, which is under way in Maharashtra.
Nagpur’s Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) is leading the trial that aims to assess the efficacy of plasma therapy to treat severely-ill Covid-19 patients, reports Chaitanya Deshpande.
But officials here are hopeful of continuing with it under any situation. “We can continue the clinical trial which is purely a scientific and research activity. We may have to stop the off-label use of plasma which was just another wing of the project,” said Dr Mohammad Faizal, state co-ordinator of Project Platina.
“ICMR’s recent statement on plasma therapy is based on the findings of PLACID trial. If our results come desirable, Project Platina can make ICMR reconsider the use of plasma,” he added
