Serum Institute files Rs 100 crore defamation case against man who claimed he fell ill after undergoing trials

Serum Institute of India has filed a defamation suit worth Rs 100 crore against the volunteer who participated in the late stage vaccine trials and claimed that he fell ill after receiving the dose.

Claiming that he suffered serious adverse event after being administered the under-trial vaccine, the Chennai based volunteer had earlier demanded Rs 5 crore from the drug manufacturer as compensation.

Serum Institute had slammed the allegations calling them "malicious" and "misconceived" adding that the volunteer was informed that the complications he suffered were not related to vaccine in any way.

"The allegations in the notice are malicious and misconceived. While the Serum Institute of India is sympathetic with the volunteer's medical condition, there is absolutely no correlation with the vaccine trial and the medical condition of the volunteer. The volunteer is falsely laying the blame for his medial problems on the COVID vaccine trial," the statement said

“The claim is malicious because the volunteer was specifically informed by the medical team that the complications he suffered were independent of the vaccine trial he underwent,” the statement added. “The volunteer is falsely laying the blame for his medical problems on the Covid vaccine trial. In spite of specifically being made aware of the same, he still chose to go public and malign the reputation of the company.

Serum Institute has said that it will seek Rs 100 crore from the volunteer for defaming the company and will also defend the malicious claims.

Meanwhile, the Chennai based volunteer in his complain filed on November 21 claimed that he suffered "severe headaches", "total behavioural change" and "irritation towards light and sound" after undergoing vaccine trials on October 1.

For the uninformed, Serum Institute has collaborated with Britain's AstraZeneca Plc and Oxford University to manufacture their vaccine candidate in India.

Recently, after completing late stage trials of the vaccine, the developer had announced 90 per cent efficacy of their vaccine candidate.