Cadila Healthcare inks ZyCoV-D commercialisation agreement with Korean firm

Cadila Healthcare on Wednesday said that it has entered into a manufacturing license and technology transfer agreement for its plasmid DNA-based Covid vaccine, ZyCoV-D, with Enzychem Lifesciences.

Headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, Enzychem Lifesciences is developing novel small molecule therapeutics to target fundamental pathways in inflammation, patients with significant unmet needs in oncology, inflammatory, and severe respiratory diseases.

Cadila will provide manufacturing license and transfer the Plasmid DNA vaccine technology to Enzychem Lifesciences. Both CHL and Enzychem believe that this partnership will lead to an estimated manufacturing of 80 million or more doses of the Plasmid DNA vaccine in 2022.

Under the agreement, Enzychem will manufacture and commercialise the vaccine within its territory under a Zydus trademark and CHL will receive the license fees and royalty payments for the same.

ZyCoV-D is the first DNA plasmid vaccine in the world for human use, developed indigenously by Cadila Healthcare against the COVID-19 virus. The vaccine is administered intradermally using the PharmaJet needle free applicator, which ensures painless intradermal vaccine delivery.

Speaking on the development, Sharvil Patel, managing director, Cadila Healthcare, said, "We are very happy to partner with Enzychem Lifesciences and provide access to the technology behind the needle-free, Plasmid DNA vaccine technology which is the first of its kind in the world."

"Our aim is to provide new innovations and novel technologies that can support people with better approaches to healthcare. This agreement enables people in South Korea and other key markets of Enzychem, the access to a safe, well tolerated and efficacious vaccine with a novel platform to fight COVID-19," added Patel

Zydus Cadila is an innovative, global pharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, manufactures, and markets a broad range of healthcare therapies. The company's consolidated net profit surged 608.10% to Rs 2,999.60 crore on 2.4% increase in net sales to Rs 3,687 crore in Q2FY22 over Q2FY21.

Shares of Cadila Healthcare on Wednesday dropped 0.47% to end at Rs 461.10 on BSE.

(With inputs from Capital Markets)