India / Human trials of 2nd COVID-19 vaccine candidate ZyCoV-D begin

New Delhi: Amid a rat race to bring out the vaccine for coronavirus infection, Ahmedabad-based pharmaceutical giant Zydus Cadila on Wednesday entered the phase I and II of crucial human trials for indigenously developed COVID-19 vaccine. Earlier this week, Bharat Biotech had also received a nod from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) to enter human trials.

According to the Clinical Trial Registry- India (CTRI), the clinical study is based on two broad criteria – inclusion and exclusion – further divided into different age groups and illnesses.

“The Adaptive Phase I/ II human clinical trials of its plasmid DNA vaccine, ZyCoV-D commenced today with the first human dosing. The Adaptive Phase I/II dose-escalation, multi-centric study will assess the safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of the vaccine,” Zydus Cadilla said in a statement.

“This is an all-important step in our fight against COVID-19,” noted Zydus Cadila Chairman Pankaj Patel, adding that the ZyCOV-D trials have so far been safe, immunogenic, non-toxic and well-tolerable.

However, the company had earlier said that the completion of phase I and II trials may take up to three months.

Yesterday, the country’s ‘first’ indigenous COVID-19 vaccine candidate Covaxin, developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indican Council of Medical Research and National Institute of Virology (NIV), began the human clinical trials, after getting DCGI nod.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has recognised COVID-19 vaccine candidates by Oxford University-AstraZeneca and Moderna Inc as global front-runners of the research.