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)
The Covid 19 incidence rate has dropped below 250 for the first time since Christmas. In the Alpes-Maritimes, it currently stands at .. .....
Read More
France’s employment minister Elisabeth Borne has said this morning that she wants "priority access" to vaccination for binmen and bus drivers over 55 ...
Read More
After more than two weeks of lockdown the number of intensive care patients in France has dropped slightly below 5,900. With health authorities claim...
Read More
French Health Minister Olivier Veran has said that the level of circulation of the virus in France is "too high" and the lifting of the curfew "is not...
Read More