Coronavirus update - Where are we with a vaccine?

Covid 19 where are we with a vaccine? Some 20 biotechnology companies and organisations are racing against the clock to find a vaccine as the coronavirus spreads. Most of them are in the US, Europe and China. 

Massachussets-based company Moderna is testing its first vaccines against Covid-19 in the US and has taken the lead - for now...while Chinese scientists are researching multiple types of vaccines simultaneously in hospitals and universities across the country.

 

•    United States

Moderna

Vaccine: "mRNA-1273"

1st clinical test in Seattle on March 16th on 45 healthy patients

Forecast: Available in 12-18 months if efficient 

(Source: Food and Drug administration/FDA)

 

Gilead Sciences

"Remdesivir" could be the first treatment on the market 

Used to treat Ebola but not efficient

Forecast: Available in the coming months

(Source: Bruce Aylward, World Health Organization/WHO)

 

Inovio Pharmaceuticals

DNA vaccine

Fist clinical tests in April in the US, then in China and South Korea 

Forecast: delivering 1 million doses by the end of the year

(Source: J. Joseph Kimn, CEO Inovio)

 

•    Germany

CureVac

DNA vaccine

The European Commission offered 80 million euros to CureVac on 17 March to develop the vaccine

A candidate vaccine could be provided within a few months 

(Source: CEO, CureVac)

 

•    France

France is to increase its scientific research budget by five billion euros over the next ten years

Pasteur Institute 

Use of measles vaccine 

Forecast: first vaccine by fall 2020

Pasteur Institute to be given 5 million euros to develop vaccine

(Source: Pasteur Institute)

 

Sanofi 

In cooperation with US Health Ministry

DNA vaccine

Possible clinical test within 12-18 months 

(Source: David Loew, Vice-president Sanofi Pasteur)

 

IHU – Institut hospitalo-universitaire

Treatment with chloroquine (anti-malaria drug)

Has been testing since 9 March on 24 patients; after 6 days, only 25% of patients are still infected (Source: Pr. Didier Raoult, IHU Director)

French Health ministry expresses methodological concerns but has given green light to larger clinical tests

Sanofi has offered 300,000 anti-malaria doses if proven efficient

 

•    China

Clover Biopharmaceuticals

Chengdu-based

Partnership with GSK (Bratford, UK)

GSK will provide Clover with its proprietary adjuvants

Chinese scientists researching multiple types of vaccines simultaneously

Some have entered animal trials (mice)

Forecast: first clinical trials in late April 2020

(Source: Chinese National Health Commission)

 

•    Japan

Fujifilm Biotechnologies

Flu shot treatment Avigan

Tested on board of the Diamond Princess ship cruise when in quarantine

Clinical tests on 200 patients in Wuhan and Shenzen, China

(Source: Chinese National Health Commission)

Last local news

French and Riviera News Wednesday 16 July 2025

Meteo France have placed the Var on a top-level red alert for forest fires today. Two other nearby departments, the Bouches-du-Rhone and the Vaucluse ... French and Riviera News Wednesday 16 July 2025 Read More

15/07/2025

Evening Update Tuesday 15th July 2025

The Var department will be placed under red alert for wildfires on Wednesday the 16th of July, due to a "very high" risk, worsened by strong Mistral a... Evening Update Tuesday 15th July 2025 Read More

15/07/2025

French and Riviera News Tuesday 15 July 2025

Commemorations took place yesterday in Nice to mark the anniversary of the attack in July 2016 in which 86 people lost their lives... French and Riviera News Tuesday 15 July 2025 Read More

14/07/2025

Evening Update Monday 14th July 2025

French TV host and producer Thierry Ardisson has died in Paris at the age of 76 from liver cancer, his family announced. ... Evening Update Monday 14th July 2025 Read More

14/07/2025

French and Riviera News Monday 14 July 2025

An administrative judge has suspended an order against large cruise ships in Villefranche-sur-mer and Nice. Nice Mayor and President of the Nice Cote ... French and Riviera News Monday 14 July 2025 Read More

13/07/2025