PM Modi to visit Zydus' COVID-19 vaccine development centre in Gujarat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit pharma major Zydus Cadila's plant near Ahmedabad on Saturday to get information about the development of its COVID-19 vaccine, Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said on Friday.

Zydus Cadila's plant is situated at Changodar industrial area near Ahmedabad city.

The drugmaker had earlier announced that the phase-I clinical trial of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, ZyCoV-D, has been completed and it has commenced phase-II clinical trials from August.

"PM Narendra Modi will be on a brief visit of Gujarat on Saturday, during which, he will visit Zydus Cadila's facility to get first-hand information about the progress made by the company so far in terms of the development of a vaccine against coronavirus," Patel said.

An official said that the prime minister is likely to arrive at the plant around 9.30 am.

From Ahmedabad, Modi is expected to visit Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII), which has partnered with global pharma giant AstraZeneca and the Oxford University for a COVID-19 vaccine. 

(Image: PTI)