Zydus Cadila gets nod for clinical trials for swine flu vaccine

Zydus Cadila, one of the five largest pharmaceutical companies in India, has received the approval of the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) to conduct multi-centric clinical trials for the H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine in the country. Zydus is the first company to get the nod, an essential step prior to commercialisation.

“We will roll out 6 million doses in the initial phase (in April),” said Pankaj R Patel, CMD, Zydus Cadila. This would, however, be subject to the outcome of the clinical trials, and subsequent approvals.

The Ahmedabad-based pharma major has invested Rs 80 crore in developing the vaccine. “We plan to invest another Rs 50 crore on the clinical study and to expand our Moraiya manufacturing facility to eventually produce 12 million doses of the vaccine,” he added.