Zydus Cadila's rMV second vaccine candidate seems to work for COVID-19

India’s Zydus Cadila, which has developed what will be India's second home-made vaccine against the coronavirus disease, has developed a live, attenuated recombinant measles virus-vectored vaccine, ZyCoV-MV, which is believed to provide long-term immunity from the infection.

The company has said it has completed pragmatic trials for ZyCoV-MV.

The recombinant measles virus (rMV), produced by reverse genetics, will express codon-optimized proteins of the novel coronavirus and induce long-term specific neutralizing antibodies. The new vaccine is expected to provide continuous immunity against COVID-19.

The measles vector is termed a promising technique for other illnesses, including cancer, infectious diseases and chronic diseases. Though the Indian company could well go down in the history books for applying for the first ever human DNA vaccine in India, the spotlight has turned on what could be just the start for a technology that could treat a vast array of diseases.

Zydus is awaiting a nod for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for its plasmid DNA vaccine. Dr Paul, NITI Aayog member informed that Zydus Cadila may soon get approval for emergency use.

The group’s Vaccine Technology Center in India which is working on the plasmid DNA vaccine also has wide ranging capabilities in developing and manufacturing different vaccines for unmet needs. The group was the first to develop and indigenously manufacture the vaccine to combat Swine Flu during the outbreak in 2010.

The group’s research arm in Europe, Etna Biotech, is working on measles reverse genetics technology which has been used earlier to successfully develop the SARS-vaccine.

The virus used in the measles vaccine is used as a vector for the development of recombinant vaccines expressing antigens from other pathogens or other viruses responsible for emerging diseases.