ZIKA VIRUS: INDIAN PHARMACEUTICAL FIRM CLAIMS DEVELOPMENT OF FIRST ZIKA VACCINE

Shortly after the World Health Organisation, WHO, announced that the Zika virus poses a global health emergency, an Indian Pharmaceutical firm claims it has developed the first vaccine  against mosquito-borne Zika virus.
The Head of Biotech International Limited, Dr. Krishna Ella said at a news conference that the company has already filed for a patent on the Zika vaccine.

Ella said,
"On Zika, we are  probably the first vaccine company in the world to file a vaccine candidate patent about nine months ago".

Biotech International Limited is based in the Southern Indian State of Andhra Pradesh's capital, Hyderabad and had sought the help of its federal government in carrying out human and animal trials for the two candidate vaccines, which were developed using live Zika virus.

India currently does not have a single reported case of Zika virus.