Indian drugmaker joins race to find COVID-19 vaccine
Indian drugmaker Zydus Cadila has launched a fast track programme to develop a vaccine for the novel coronavirus COVID-19, which has so far claimed more than 1,600 lives worldwide.
The Ahmedabad-based pharmaceutical company on Saturday, February 15, said it would utilise multiple teams in Europe and India to focus on two separate approaches to developing a vaccine.
The first approach would be towards developing a DNA vaccine against COVID-19’s major viral membrane protein, while the second approach is aimed at using reverse genetics to create a recombinant measles virus (rMV) that would induce antibodies against the novel coronavirus.
Zydus Group chairman Pankaj Patel said: “There is an urgent and pressing need to develop a safe and efficacious vaccine that can prevent the spread of this deadly virus. Our researchers are working to bring a speedy solution to this most devastating outbreak in recent times.”
Etna Biotech, Zydus’ European-based research arm, is responsible for developing the measles reverse genetics technology. The company said this approach had previously been successful in developing a vaccine for SARS.
Zydus’ India based Vaccine Technology Centre will focus on developing the DNA vaccine.
The Indian drugmaker is the latest company to join the race to successfully produce a COVID-19 vaccine.
On Friday, February 15, Johnson & Johnson unit Janssen announced that it had expanded an existing partnership with the US Department of Health and Human Services to develop a vaccine for the novel coronavirus.
The two parties had previously collaborated on developing an ebola vaccine.
The viral outbreak has already had a significant impact on IP, with the International Trademark Association and International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition being forced to call off their planned conferences in Singapore in April.
Sister publication WIPR is running a live blog where you can find all the latest news on what COVID-19 means for IP.
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