COVID-19: List of those in the race for a vaccine

The mRNA platform vaccine of Moderna is the most awaited candidate in the fight against Covid-19. The vaccine has already entered clinical trials in the US. With funding from CEPI**, its tech, according to the company, offers effi cacy, speed of development, production scalability and reliability. A similar technology is being used for vaccines for other infectious diseases.

US-based vaccine maker Inovio said that it has recruited up to 40 volunteers to participate in clinical trials for its anti-Covid-19 vaccine. Use of its candidate had showed “promising immune response to the coronavirus” in animals.

A vaccine candidate developed for other infectious diseases such as MERS, infl uenza, TB, Chikungunya and Zika has entered phase 1 clinical trials for the novel coronavirus. The university expects to complete the study by May 2021.

US drug giant Pfi zer has made an upfront payment of $185 million to vaccine maker BioNTech for developing its mRNA vaccine. The vaccine is expected to go on human trials this month. The joint venture holds the potential to supply millions of vaccine doses by the end of 2020.