Zydus Cadila receives approvals from the DCGI to start phase III clinical trial of ZyCoV-D – a fully indigenously developed vaccine.

Zydus Cadila, announced that it will be starting Phase III clinical trials of its plasmid DNA vaccine to prevent COVID-19, ZyCoV-D after having received permissions from the DCGI. The company will now be initiating Phase III clinical trial in around 30,000 volunteers. This is a three-dose COVID-19 vaccine. The Phase II study of the vaccine ZyCoV-D had been conducted in over 1000 healthy adult volunteers as part of the adaptive Phase I/II dose escalation, multi-centric, randomized, double-blind placebo controlled study. The vaccine was found to be safe and elicit a strong immunogenic response. The trial has reviewed by an independent Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) and reports were submitted to Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) regularly for the update on safety outcome.