Brazil health regulator cancels clinical study for Bharat Biotech vaccine

FILE PHOTO: Indian Health Minister Harsh Vardhan holds a dose of Bharat Biotech’s COVID-19 vaccine called COVAXIN, during a vaccination campaign at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) hospital in New Delhi, India, January 16, 2021. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi/File Photo

BRASILIA — Brazilian health regulator Anvisa on Monday said it had canceled a clinical study for the Covaxin vaccine for COVID-19 developed by India’s Bharat Biotech, amid allegations of irregularities in the government’s efforts to buy millions of doses of the shot.

Bharat on Friday said it had terminated a memorandum of understanding with the local partner company acting as its intermediary in Brazil, with Anvisa saying on Monday that the trials could not go forward as a result and would be canceled.

Anvisa had previously suspended the trials temporarily.