Zydus to tie up with US-based research centre to develop vaccine

Etna Biotech will also donate $2,40,000 for advancing research under the NIH leishmaniasis programme

Pharmaceuticals major Zydus said that its R&D subsidiary Etna Biotech will collaborate with US-based National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAD) to develop a vaccine against visceral leishmaniasis (VL), known as Kala-Azar in India.

According to a PTI report, Etna Biotech will also donate $2,40,000 for advancing research under the NIH leishmaniasis programme.

In a BSE filing, Zydus said, “Etna Biotech announced a collaborative programme with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) for advancing leishmaniasis research.”

It further said, “Under a separate agreement, Etna Biotech also extended its support of the NIH leishmaniasis programme by donating $2,40,000 for research.”

Commenting on the development, Pankaj R Patel, Chairman and Managing Director, Zydus Group said, “Zydus is proud to collaborate with US NIH to solve the increasing worldwide disease burden of visceral leishmaniasis and to move forward to put a basis for the successful development of a novel candidate vaccine for visceral leishmaniasis.”

Etna BiotechKala-AzarNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious DiseasesPankaj R PatelZydus