Zydus Cadila beats city’s Serum Instt in H1N1 vaccine race
Pune Mirror: Zydus Cadila has beaten the competition and is all ready with a swine flu vaccine. It might be recalled that the city-based Serum Institute of India was pretty vocal during the height of the H1N1 scare that they were almost done with the vaccine.
However, the Ahmedabad-based pharmaceutical company has crashed the local party. Cadila has become the first Indian pharma company to start clinical trials of the vaccine, after receiving the final nod from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI).
The indigenous vaccine will most probably hit the market by April this year, after the trials are complete, which are on in full swing, and fast track approvals.
The egg-based inactivated vaccine, based on conventional technology, has been developed by Zydus Cadila’s experts at its Vaccine Technology Centre in Ahmedabad. The demand for the vaccine in India is estimated to be at a mind-boggling 50 to 60 million doses in the initial phase.
While speaking on this development, Pankaj R Patel, chairman and managing director of Zydus Cadila, said, “India’s readiness with a vaccine that is safe and effective in Indian conditions is critical, as we go all out to create an H1N1-free zone.”
He added that their researchers and vaccine experts “worked round-the-clock to strengthen our armoury in this fight against the H1N1 virus”. Patel said that once the vaccine is out, number of deaths will come down to almost zero.
According to the company, the H1N1 Influenza A is the first pandemic influenza of the 21st century. It has, till
now, accounted for over 12,000 lives in more than 200 countries.
Recent updates indicate that India has recorded over 21,000 confirmed cases since the virus first struck in May 2009 and has accounted for over 900 lives so far.
Currently, the H1N1 swine flu vaccine market worldwide is estimated at $676 million, with the first lot of doses being commercialised in September 2009. The market is expected to cross $7 billion by 2011.
Serum Institute, which had also sought approval from the DCGI to commence clinical trials for their vaccine, is still to
get a green signal. Dr Prasad Kulkarni, additional medical director of Serum Institute, said, “Our vaccine is ready for trials but we are still waiting for the DCGI’s approval.”
He did not specify why the go ahead hadn’t come yet.The Serum Institute developed the vaccine with the conventional method of using live virus to fight the flu. The shot has already undergone animal toxicity studies and has been found to be safe.
According to Dr Kulkarni, the company is waiting to start the phase-I trial, which is a safety trial done only on adults.
After a shot clears the phase-I trial, the makers move on to Phase II/ III trial, which is the target trial — done on children and the elderly.
More articles by The Desk
- Trekking sites around Pune are safer now - March 18th, 2010
- Gang artificially ripening mangoes with harmful chemicals handed over to police - March 18th, 2010
- IPL fails to do well in theatres - March 18th, 2010
- Na Dhon Mahanor to inaugurate literary meet - March 18th, 2010
- Actor Pankaj Jha will be holding his first solo exhibition 'No Mind’s Creation' in the city - March 17th, 2010
