Covid-19 Vaccine Latest Update Today: Biggest vaccine trial starts in the US; expected by year-end

Covid-19 Vaccine Update: Bill Gates backs South Korean candidate.

Covid-19 Vaccine Update: Moderna Inc and Pfier Inc have haunched two 30,000-subject trials for their respective vaccine candidates in the US. News agency Reuters reported both companies as saying that both vaccine candidates may clear way for regulatory approvals and allow widespread use by the end of 2020. As per the report, these vaccine candidates are relying on a new technology which allows faster development and manufacturing than traditional vaccine production methods. However, this technology but does not have an extensive track record.

Associated Press reported today that the biggest test of an experimental COVID-19 vaccine has got underway in the US with the first of some 30,000 Americans rolling up their sleeves to receive shots created by the US government. Final-stage testing of the vaccine, developed by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc., started on Monday with volunteers at numerous sites around the US given either a real dose or a dummy without being told which.

Meanwhile in India, the Government has selected five sites for the trial of Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in India. News agency PTI reported on Monday that Department of Biotechnology (DBT) Secretary, Renu Swarup, as saying that five sites across the country are ready for the third and final phase of human trials of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. Human trials of the vaccine is an essential step because it is necessary to have data within the country before the vaccine is administered to Indians, Swarup said.

Oxford and its partner AstraZeneca have chosen the Serum Institute of India, the largest vaccine maker in the world, to manufacture the vaccine once it is ready. Trials results for the first two phases were published earlier this month. According to Swaroop, the DBT is part of any COVID-19 vaccine effort in India “whether it is funding, whether it is facilitating the regulatory clearances or whether it is giving them access to different networks which exist within the country.”

“The DBT is now setting up Phase 3 clinical sites. We have already started working on them and five sites are now ready to be available for Phase 3 trials,” Swarup said.

Serum Institute has also sought permission from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for conducting Phase 2 and 3 human clinical trials of the Oxford vaccine

South Korean Vaccine Update

Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates has said in a letter to South Korean President Moon Jae-in says that the country’s SK Bioscience may be capable of producing 20 crores (200 million) coronavirus vaccine kits by next June, Bloomberg reported today. Gates is backing the South Korean pharmaceutical company.

As per the report, the Microsoft co-founder is seeking to cooperate closely with South Korea. Gates foundation had given $3.6 million to SK Bioscience for accelerating the COVID vaccine development.

SK Bioscience is also on contract with AstraZeneca Plc to manufacture Oxford vaccine.

Moderna Vaccine Update

Meanwhile, World’s biggest COVID-19 vaccine study started in the US on Monday with the first of 30,000 planned volunteers helping to test shots created by the U.S. government. This vaccine has been developed by the US’ National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc. It is one of the several candidates in the final stretch of the global vaccine race.

Oxford, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer vaccine trials

In August, the final , final study of the Oxford vaccine will begin. Johnson & Johnson also plans to test its vaccine candidate in September and Novavax in October if everything goes as per schedule. Pfizer Inc. also plans to hold its own 30,000-person study this summer, AP reported.