Coronavirus vaccine update: Trial on animals done successfully, Johnson&Johnson to begin human trial soon
Multinational pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson has recently informed that their vaccine to combat the coronavirus is now fully ready. The company has decided to expedite the clinical trial of humans for it's experimental covid-19 vaccine by two months to the second half of july.
On giving more information about the vaccine, Vice President and chief scientist of Johnson & Johnson, Paul Stoffel has said that the vaccine preapared by him to fight the coronavirus is yielding very promising results. Clinical trial on humans of this vaccine named, 'SARS-CoV-2' are going to begin next month. The decision may allow J&J to take part in the massive clinical trials program- 'Operation Warp Speed' planned by the US government.In March 2019, the company signed deals with the US government to create enough manufacturing capacity to produce more tha 1 billion doses of it's vacccine through 2021. "We hope that this vaccine can be launched in the market soon" the Vice President of J&J underlined.
In the statement issued by the company, it has been mentioned that the figures for the new vaccine's Phase-1 and Phase-2 trials are also being reviewed.
"Based on the strength of the pre-clinical data we have seen so far and interactions with the regulatory authorities, we have been able to further accelarate the clinical development", the chief scientific officer said in his statement. The study will test the vaccine for safety and early signs of effectiveness in 1,045 healthy volunteers aged between 18-55 years, and in those aged 65 years and above. The trial will take place in the United States and Belgium. The company has also been in talks with the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAD) to start larger, late-stage trials ahead of schedule.
For the development of covid-19 vaccine, the technology being applied is similar to the one that was used to develop their Investigational Ebola Vaccine and fir the Zika Virus,RSV and HIV.
In India, a New Delhi based Biotechnology company Panaeca Biotec has partnered with US based Rafana Inc. The company will be responsible for product development and commercial manufacturing of the vaccine.