Maharashtra rolls out world’s largest plasma therapy trials

Shiv Kumar

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Tribune News Service

Mumbai, June 29

Maharashtra on Monday launched ‘Project Platina’, the world’s largest plasma therapy trials, for treating the COVID-19 virus.

Under Project Platina, trials of Convalescent Plasma Therapy (CPT) will be rolled out in four hospitals run by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation in Mumbai and 17 other hospitals across the state.

”Around 500 participants will take part in these trials across Maharashtra,” a health department official said.

Inaugurating the trial, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said researchers conducting the trials will work on isolating Monoclonal antibodies from the blood plasma of those who have recovered from the Covid-19 virus. “We intend to study the structure of the antibodies and if possible produce it artificially,” Thackeray said in a statement. The Chief Minister added the plasma trials being conducted

in Maharashtra will create an infrastructure of plasmapheresis in all medical colleges which will help in the treatment of dengue, snakebites, etc.

Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray added that the plasma therapy trials being conducted in Maharashtra will “not only give the world a large robust data for plasma therapy treatment but also help us create infrastructure for this therapy across the state.”

Health officials said all critical patients will receive two doses of plasma each of 200 ml.

According to Aaditya Thackeray the treatment would be free of cost for patients. The Maharashtra Government is spending Rs 16.65 crore from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, mainly for acquiring equipment for collecting blood plasma from patients who have recovered from Covid-19.