As COVID-19 continues to spread around the world, people all over the country are being encouraged to take precautions to prevent transmission by staying at home and practicing social distancing. But a pandemic does not cure on its own and neither their impacts. While many countries are working towards the development of vaccines, only a few have managed to proceed towards the advanced phase of the clinical trial.
Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) are in negotiation with the European Commission (EC) for the supply of up to 300 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines. The vaccine developed by Sanofi in collaboration with GSK, is based on a recombinant protein-based technology to produce a vaccine similar to that of an influenza vaccine using GSK’s established adjuvant technology. These doses would be manufactured in France, Belgium, Germany, and Italy.
Sanofi is one of the front-runners in the clinical development and registration of COVID-19 vaccine. It is anticipated that Phase 1 and 2 trial study will start in September, followed by a Phase 3 study by the end of 2020. Upon successful completion of all three stages of studies, regulatory approval could be achieved by the first half of 2021. Simultaneously, the Oxford University researchers have also developed a vaccine named ‘ChAsOx1 nCoV-19’ which has been tested on 1077 volunteers so far and the findings are hugely promising since it has triggered an immune response and has developed antibodies in the people who volunteered for the human trial. On the other hand, the British-Swedish firm AstraZeneca has partnered with Serum Institute India to develop COVID-19 vaccines and other low-to-middle income countries.
The vaccine being developed by UoO has already shown encouraging results in the first phase of clinical human trial. The researchers of UoO stated that the experimental COVID-19 vaccine amongst the people aged 18 to 55 produced a dual immune response. Dr. Adrian Hill, the director of the Jenner Institute at Oxford University, stated that the researchers saw a good immune response in almost everybody. He also added that the vaccine particularly triggers both the arms of the immune system.
Despite all the declarations and promises made by countries such as USA, UK, Russia, etc. regarding COVID-19 vaccine, the hard truth is that even if a vaccine is declared safe and effective by year’s end, there won’t be enough for everyone who wants it right away especially since it is alleged that the COVID-19 vaccines require two doses. The World Health Organization is struggling with the same who-goes-first question as it will endeavour that vaccines are fairly distributed to poor countries.
