India to take part in WHO's 'solidarity trial', says ICMR

India will participate in the World Health Organisation's (WHO) multi-country 'solidarity trial' for developing potential treatments and drugs for COVID-19, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said on Friday.

"ICMR will collaborate with WHO for public health emergency 'Solidarity Trial' -- an international randomised trial of additional treatments for COVID-19 in hospitalised patients," ICMR said.

It will be coordinated in India by Dr Sheela Godbole, Scientist, ICMR-National AIDS Research Institute in Pune.

Earlier on March 27, Dr R Ganga Ketkar of ICMR said that India was likely to participate in the WHO's 'solidarity trial' for a potential treatment for COVID-19.

Addressing a press conference, he had said, "We are likely to start our participation soon in the solidarity trial that the WHO is starting."

Coronavirus continued to rise on Friday with India's tally climbing to 2,547, including 162 cured or discharged and 62 deaths, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare