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)
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