Skip to main content

Indian Firm Develops World’s 1st Vaccine Against Zika Virus

An Indian pharmaceutical firm claimed on Wednesday to have developed the world’s first vaccine against mosquito-borne Zika virus.

Dr Krishna Ella, Head of the Biotech International Limited, the company, based in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh’s capital Hyderabad, said at a news conference that it has already filed for a patent for the Zika vaccine.

Read also: What You Need To Know About Zika Virus

“On Zika, we are probably the first vaccine company in the world to file a vaccine candidate patent about nine months ago,” he said.

Ella said the firm has sought the Indian government help for carrying out human and animal trials for the two candidate vaccines, which have been developed by its scientists, using a live Zika virus.

The claims came a day after the World Health Organisation said that the Zika virus poses a global public health emergency requiring a united response.

The virus has been linked to cases of microcephaly, in which babies are born with underdeveloped brains.

There have been around 4,000 reported cases of microcephaly in Brazil alone since October.

However, till date, there has been not a single reported case of Zika virus attack in India, though the government was said to have tested a number of samples. (Xinhua/NAN)

Comments

Post a Comment

Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in the comments are those of the comment writers alone and does not reflect or represent the views of Gee.

Contacts us with happenings around you on geeblog9@gmail.com and for your free event placement.

Popular posts from this blog

Ever got bad service/ product for your money? well look no further

Do you know your right as a consumer of products and services? Consumer Rights As a consumer, you have the following rights and you must insist on them. The right to Satisfaction of Basic Needs Access to basic goods and services necessary for survival, such as food, water, energy, clothung, shelter, health-care, education and sanitation. Goods and services must meet the standard of quality promised such that there is value for money in the purchase. The Right to Safety Protection from hazardous products, production processes and services. The Right to Information Provision of information enabling informed consumer choice as well as protection from misleading or inaccurate advertising and labeling. The Right to Choose Access to variety of quality products and services at competitive prices. The Right to Redress Compensation for misrepresentation, shoddy goods and unsatisfactory public and private services, including the right to adequate legal represe...

Obasanjo's Plans for ING

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has set his mind on regime change “by fair or foul means” and is plotting to plunge Nigeria into crisis, presidential spokesman Reuben Abati has said. He was reacting to statements credited to Obasanjo on Saturday that President Goodluck Jonathan was plotting to win the 2015 general election by “hook or crook”. Obasanjo had endorsed Jonathan’s main challenger Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday, but then seemed to backtrack on Thursday. There are insinuations that Obasanjo is not well disposed to Buhari either and would want an interim national government (ING) to be headed by him to midwife new elections in which neither Jonathan nor Buhari would be candidates.

Regina Askia writes President Buhari on state of nation

Onetime actress turned nurse, Regina Askia Williams, has written to President Muhammadu Buhari on the state of nation. Thanking the president for his fight against corruption, the actress asked why there seem to be one unrest after the other in the country. “Thank you for all your effort at containing the corruption in Nigeria however unpopular," she began. Continuing, she wrote, 'Nigerians elected you through serious acrimony, loosing several lives and facing deadly unrest but they chose you. Though you are from the North of OUR country you are president of all. How is it that violence and deaths still hold sway? 'My hope and prayer was that on your ascension you would deploy our military with fiat and alacrity armed to the teeth and silence or at least contain Boko Haram. My prayer was that as a seasoned General you would not only flush out king pins and barons but retrieve the loot as you napped them one after the other but we see them working for you. Is th...