An Indian pharmaceutical firm claimed on Wednesday to have
developed the world’s first vaccine against mosquito-borne Zika
virus.
Dr Krishna Ella, Head of the Biotech International Limited, the
company, based in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh’s
capital Hyderabad, said at a news conference that it has already filed
for a patent for the Zika vaccine.
“On Zika, we are probably the first vaccine company in the world to
file a vaccine candidate patent about nine months ago,” he said.
Ella said the firm has sought the Indian government help for carrying
out human and animal trials for the two candidate vaccines, which
have been developed by its scientists, using a live Zika virus.
The claims came a day after the World Health Organisation said that
the Zika virus poses a global public health emergency requiring a
united response.
The virus has been linked to cases of microcephaly, in which babies
are born with underdeveloped brains.
There have been around 4,000 reported cases of microcephaly in
Brazil alone since October.
However, till date, there has been not a single reported case of Zika
virus attack in India, though the government was said to have tested
a number of samples. (Xinhua/NAN)--source leadership.ng
JAFARU ISA RETURNS #100 MILLION OUT OF #170MILLION HE RECEIVED FROM FORMER NSA BOSS COL SAMBO DASUKI
A former military governor of Kaduna State and chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Jafaru Isa, has refunded N100million of the N170 million he allegedly received from embattled ex-NSA, Sambo Dasuki. Mr. Isa, a retired brigadier-general, was arrested on Wednesday by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, at his Asokoro residence in Abuja. Mr. Isa, a political associate of President Muhammadu Buhari, was grilled for several hours in connection with about N170 million he received from Mr. Dasuki. A reliable source familiar with the matter told PREMIUM TIMES the APC chieftain and member of the 19-man Buhari Transition Committee was released after refunding N100million to the anti-graft commission. The source said Mr. Isa pledged to return the remaining N70million soon. “We let him go after returning the sum of N100million. We are expecting him to return the rest soon,” the source said. According to him, some of the suspected...
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