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- Published: November 28, 2020 11:45
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday arrived in Ahmedabad and proceeded to Zydus Biotech Park of the pharma major Zydus Cadila to review the vaccine development.
The visit is the first of his three-city tour to personally review the vaccine development and manufacturing process in the country. After inspecting the progress at Zydus Biotech Park, the Prime Minister will also visit Serum Institute of India in Pune and Bharat Biotech in Hyderabad.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at Gujarat’s Ahmedabad, to visit the Zydus Biotech Park to review the #COVID19 vaccine development
Later today, the PM will visit Bharat Biotech in Hyderabad and Serum Institute of India in Pune pic.twitter.com/EtDNh5vKMY
— ANI (@ANI) November 28, 2020
Zydus Cadila’s plant is in Changodar industrial area near Ahmedabad city.
The company had earlier announced that the phase-I clinical trial of its Covid-19 vaccine candidate, ZyCoV-D, has been completed and it has commenced phase 2 clinical trials from August.
#WATCH Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Zydus Biotech Park in Ahmedabad, reviews the development of #COVID19 vaccine candidate ZyCOV-D pic.twitter.com/vEhtNMf1YE
— ANI (@ANI) November 28, 2020
Covaxin & Oxford-AstraZeneca other vaccines in final stage
Post that, the Prime Minister will visit the Serum Institute of India, which has partnered with global pharma giant AstraZeneca and the Oxford University for the vaccine.
The SII is the largest producer of vaccines in the world by volume.
The Prime Minister is also scheduled to visit vaccine maker Bharat Biotech’s facility in Hyderabad.
Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin is undergoing phase-3 trials.
Besides SII, Bharat Biotech has partnered with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for a country-made COVID-19 vaccine using the virus strain isolated by ICMR’s National Institute of Virology (NIV) based in Pune.
“As India enters a decisive phase of the fight against COVID-19, PM Narendra Modi’s visit to these facilities and discussions with the scientists will help him get a first-hand perspective of the preparations, challenges and roadmap in India’s endeavour to vaccinate its citizens,” the Prime Minister’s Office had said on Friday.