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Business News/ News / India/  Zydus Cadila’s vaccine shows immune response in animals against covid-19

Zydus Cadila’s vaccine shows immune response in animals against covid-19

  • The researchers evaluated the immunogenicity potential of Zydus’ plasmid DNA vaccine candidate in mice, guinea pig, and rabbit models
  • Unlike Covaxin and Covishield which are two-dose vaccines given as an intramuscular injection, Zydus Cadila’s ZyCoV-D requires three shots given intradermally

Photo: iStock

Zydus Cadila’s vaccine candidate ZyCoV-D showed an immune response in animals like mice, guinea pigs, and rabbits, according to a pre-print of the company’s pre-clinical studies of the vaccine candidate.

“...these initial results demonstrate the immunogenicity of our ZyCoV-D DNA vaccine candidate in multiple animal models. These studies strongly support the clinical evaluation as a vaccine candidate for COVID-19 infection," the pre-print showed.

The results from pre-clinical studies, which have not yet been peer-reviewed, were the first results that Zydus Cadila has published for its covid-19 vaccine candidate ZyCoV-D.

The researchers evaluated the immunogenicity potential of Zydus’ plasmid DNA vaccine candidate in mice, guinea pig, and rabbit models using intradermal route at 25, 100 and 500 microgram dose.

As per the results, the candidate vaccine induced antibody response including neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV2 and also provided T-cell immunity.

“The serum IgG (a type of antibody) levels against spike antigen in mice were maintained even after three months post last dosing suggesting a long-term immune response generated by the DNA vaccine candidate," the results showed.

Zydus Cadila has already completed its phase 1 and 2 trial. It is currently conducting a phase 3 study of 28,216 volunteers across five sites in four cities, according to information it provided on the government’s clinical trial registry.

Unlike Covaxin and Covishield which are two-dose vaccines given 28 days apart as an intramuscular injection, Zydus Cadila’s ZyCoV-D requires three shots given intradermally. The second and third shots are given 28 and 56 days after the first.

As per the protocol for the trial, the vaccine will be tested to primarily see how effective it is in preventing confirmed symptomatic covid-19 cases as compared to placebo.

The first interim reading of efficacy of the vaccine will be determined two weeks after the third shot, as per the protocol.

Secondary outcomes of the trial include determining the efficacy of ZyCoV-D at preventing severe infection, death as well as persistence of immune response following the first dose.

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