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17 February 2020AsiaRory O'Neill

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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More on this story

Asia
5 January 2021   India has granted emergency approval to COVID-19 vaccines developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University and one from the state-run institute Bharat Biotech, ahead of a huge immunisation drive that is planned to begin this week.
Medtech
2 March 2021   The Indian government has called upon members of the WTO to deliver on its proposal to waive IP obligations in order to deal more effectively with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Big Pharma
31 August 2023   National Medical Commission has put new regulations on hold that would have made prescribing generics mandatory | Move comes after pressure from doctors’ organisation and pharma firms.