The Hindu Business Line : WHO, Zydus sign pact to develop drugs for rabies

Ahmedabad, Aug. 12 Cadila Healthcare Ltd (Zydus Cadila) has entered into an agreement with World Health Organisation (WHO) to explore collaboration in the development of a cocktail for the treatment of rabies, through the use of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), the next-generation biologicals.

The agreement is a broad-based one which includes evaluation and provides a possible stepping-stone for the development and commercialisation of the cocktail, to be used as an adjuvant therapy.

The WHO will be providing monoclonal antibodies capable of neutralising rabies virus and genetic sequences thereof, for evaluation at the Zydus Research Centre, the research arm of the pharmaceutical major here. The development and commercialisation of the cocktail will, among others, be designed to achieve its wide availability to the public, including in particular its availability to the public sector of developing countries at a preferential price, the Ahmedabad-based company said here on Tuesday.

Mr Pankaj Patel, Chairman and Managing Director, Zydus Cadila, said the new therapy holds much promise as it will address a critical need and enable the company to offer a complete range of rabies therapeutics at an affordable cost.

Zydus Cadila manufactures and markets rabies vaccines known as VaxiRab and LyssavacN. The group has also developed a new cell culture vaccine which will be used for both intramuscular and intra-dermal vaccination.

Zydus Cadila has a team of more than 900 research professionals spearheading its research and development programme. Of these, 350 scientists are involved in the New Molecular Entity (NME) research programme alone at the Zydus Research Centre.

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