Modi embarks on 3-city tour to view COVID-19 vaccine development
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday embarked on a three-city tour to review the development of COVID-19 vaccines. The PM has already visited the Zydus Biotech Park in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, and Bharat Biotech in Hyderabad, Telangana, commending the teams behind the respective vaccines being developed at the facilities. He will now proceed towards the Serum Institute of India (SII) in Pune.
Modi briefed on ZyCov-D development at Zydus Cadila facility
Zydus Cadila is developing the indigenous vaccine candidate called ZyCov-D, which is expected to start Phase III clinical trials in December. According to PTI, at the firm's Ahmedabad facility, Modi was briefed on the vaccine development work and the vaccine production procedure at the plant during his interaction with scientists and company officials. After the visit, the PM congratulated the team on Twitter.
'Government actively working with Zydus Cadila to help them'
Bharat Biotech team closely working with ICMR, says Modi
After the Ahmedabad visit, the PM reached Hyderabad to visit the Bharat Biotech's facility. The company is developing an indigenous vaccine candidate called COVAXIN in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). COVAXIN is currently undergoing Phase III trials. Congratulating the scientists, Modi tweeted after the visit, "Their team is closely working with ICMR to facilitate speedy progress."
You can view the tweet here
SII team shared plan to ramp up manufacturing with Modi
Modi then visited the SII in Pune. The institute has partnered with pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford for the vaccine, AZD1222. The vaccine, which will be sold as 'Covaxin' in India, is undergoing Phase III trials. After the visit, Modi tweeted saying that the SII team shared details on the development progress and how they plan to further ramp up vaccine manufacturing.
