US starts second coronavirus vaccine trial backed by Bill Gates foundation
The US is conducting clinical trials on a second potential coronavirus vaccine after it showed encouraging results in preliminary preclinical tests.
Developed by a US-based biotechnology company named INOVIO Pharmaceuticals, the vaccine is designed to protect people from contracting the new coronavirus. The vaccine will receive funds from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to manufacture them in large numbers if it clears all clinical tests. The company plans to produce 1M doses of the shot by the end of this year, all of which will be used for clinical trials.
In the phase 1 trial that has just begun, US researchers will test the safety of the vaccine in up to 40 healthy participants at the Kansas City research lab and University of Pennsylvania. The company is also working with Chinese researchers to kickstart a similar study in that country.
"This is a significant step forward in the global fight against COVID-19. Without a new safe and effective vaccine, the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to continue to threaten lives and livelihoods," Dr J Joseph Kim, INOVIO president and CEO, said in a statement. A few scientists predict that countries should not lift lockdown until a vaccine becomes available, but this could take at least 18 months. Rushing development, on the other hand, could backfire.
"It is the most important trial that we’ve ever done," Dr John Ervin of the Center for Pharmaceutical Research told The Associated Press. "People are beating down the door to get into this trial."
The first vaccine to enter was the one developed by Moderna, a Massachusetts-based biotechnology company, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Both Moderna and INOVIO have developed genetic vaccines. While the former has built an RNA-based vaccine, the latter is DNA-based. What is more, both the companies have had a headstart because these vaccines were built on their earlier work: MERS, a close relative of the new coronavirus.
INOVIO's vaccine works by infecting a fragment of synthetic DNA. Once inside, it directs the cells to produce harmless protein copies. These proteins, in turn, instigate the immune system to produce antibodies against them, which then attack if the new coronavirus were to strike.
Moderna began carrying out its tests in Seattle. About two-thirds of that study's participants have already received the first of two needed doses, according to reports.
Commenting on INOVIO's clinical trial, Richard Hatchett, CEO of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), which funds vaccine development, said: "We are pleased to see the rapid advancement of their vaccine candidate into clinical safety testing. Producing a COVID-19 vaccine within the next 12 to 18 months is not only a scientific challenge; it will also require new levels of collaboration and investment across industry and government. There is still a long road ahead before we have a safe, effective, and globally accessible vaccine ready for broader use, but today we have reached an important milestone on that journey."