BHOPAL: Could an immunomodulatory drug developed by Indians in 1966, boost resistance against Covid-19? Mycobacterium w (Mw) was developed as an anti-leprosy drug and found some success in cure for warts, TB and cancer. Now, medical experts will begin its clinical trial against coronavirus infection. Mw is said to boost the immune response against several pathogens.AIIMS Bhopal has been approved for clinical trial of ‘Mycobacterium w’ in critically ill Covid-19 patients, said institute director, Dr Sarman Singh, here on Thursday. Currently, there is no cure for Covid-19. The AIIMS trial aims to understand the increase in immunity and resistance to Covid-19 after administrating Mw. Trials would begin by next week, after the injections arrive from Ahmedabad. Estimated time for completion of the study is three months.The study will also evaluate the efficacy and safety of Mycobacterium w in preventing Covid-19 in subjects at risk of getting infected with Covid-19. Another objective of the study is to carry out controlled clinical trial to compare the efficacy and safety of this immunomodulatory drug in Covid-19 positive adult patients, who are hospitalised but not critically ill, said the director.The study approved by FDA (USA) and ICMR, India, is being done in collaboration with Council of Scientific and Industrial Research. It is being led by Dr Singh; other members of the research team are Prof Rajnish Joshi, Prof Debasis Biswas, Dr Saurabh Saigal and Dr Sagar Khadanga. Similar initiation has also taken place in PGI Chandigarh.Molecular and genetic analysis was carried out by AIIMS Delhi’s Professor Gursaran Pran Talwar, said Dr Singh. In his honour Mw was renamed as mycobacterium indicus pranii, or simply as MIP. The word indicus denotes India, while pranii comes from the middle name of Talwar and NII stands for the Institute, he added.