Zydus Cadila gets DCGI nod to conduct H1N1 vaccine trials

Drug maker Zydus Cadila today said it has received approval from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) to conduct clinical trials for the swine flu (H1N1) vaccine.

With this approval "Zydus Cadila becomes the first Indian pharma company to commence multicentric clinical trials of its vaccine", the Ahmedabad-based firm said in a statement to the Bombay Stock Exchange.

In recent times, the pandemic H1N1 Influenza has claimed thousands of lives across the globe.

"With the vaccine in the market soon, we should be able to prevent further loss of lives to this infectious disease," Zydus Cadila Chairman and Managing Director Pankaj R Patel said.

With the speedy completion of trials and the fast track approvals, the indigenous H1N1 vaccine is expected to hit the markets by April this year, the company said.

According to the company, the demand for H1N1 vaccine in India is estimated to touch 50-60 million doses in initial phase.

Zydus Cadila's egg-based inactivated vaccine has been developed by the group's experts at its Vaccine Technology Centre in Ahmedabad.

Currently, the H1N1 vaccine market is estimated to be $676 million. The market is expected to cross $7 billion by 2011.

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