Global vaccine giant AstraZeneca reports that its vaccine prevents coronavirus infection 62% of the time while people get two doses a month. But in a subgroup of volunteers who received half a dose after a full dose a month later, the vaccine appeared to be 90% effective.
Which has an average effectiveness of 70%. The vaccine, developed by Pfizer Inc. and biotechnology company Modern, protects against pathogenic infections 95% of the time.
The Pfizer and Modernna vaccines use a very similar technique, while the AstraZeneca use a different approach. They are among the six vaccines for some kind of federal government support in the United States and dozens of developments around the world.
Here’s a look at the technology behind some of the candidates that are at the forefront of development – mostly in Phase 3 clinical trials, U.S. The first step in seeking action from the Food and Drug Administration and other regulators around the world.
Pfizer and Bioentech
Pfizer and its German-based partner use a new approach to create bioentech vaccines that use Messenger RNA or mRNA.
This design was chosen for the epidemic vaccine years ago because it is the one that gives itself a quick turn. What is needed is the genetic sequence of the virus for the epidemic. Even vaccine makers don’t need viruses – just sequences.
In this case, biotech researchers used a small piece of genetic material for a piece of spike protein – a structure that adorns the surface of the coronavirus, giving it a studded appearance.
Messenger RNA is the only strand of the genetic code that cells can “read” and use to make proteins. In the case of this vaccine, the mRNA instructs the cells in the body to make a specific part of the spike protein of the virus. The immune system then sees it, recognizes it as a foreigner and is ready to attack when a real infection occurs.
MRNA is very fragile so it is encased in lipid nanoparticles – a coating of buttery substance that can melt at room temperature. That’s why Pfizer’s vaccine must keep the ultracold temperature at about minus 100 degrees F (minus 75 degrees C). This means that special equipment is needed to carry and store this vaccine.
Modern
And like the Pfizer / Bioentech vaccine, it codes the cells to make a piece of spike protein. It was a precautionary choice – scientists had to choose a piece of the virus that they thought would not change over time, or change much. The virus uses the spike protein to capture the cells it produces and it remains stable from generation to generation of viral replication.
Moderna has developed a separate formulation for lipid nanoparticles to protect the mRNA in its vaccine. The formulation is a corporate mystery, but Moderna thinks its approach is better and says its vaccine can be sent at minus 20 degrees Celsius (minus 4 degrees F) and at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius (36 to 46 degrees F). can be kept stable for 0 days.), standard home refrigerator temperature.
AstraZeneca
The AstraZeneca vaccine developed with the team at Oxford University in Britain is called the vector vaccine. It uses a common cold virus called adenovirus to carry coronaviruses from spike protein into cells.
Its purpose is to produce its own vaccine by cutting the human body into small copies of the spike protein in essence, but the delivery method is different. This adenovirus infects chimpanzees but does not make people sick. It was modified so that it did not mimic itself – then genetically engineered to inject cells with DNA encoding for a complete coronavirus spike protein.
Johnson & Johnson’s Vaccine J. Pharmaceuticals
This is a vaccine that has been tested before in the market. The adenovirus 26 vector was used to create the company’s Ebola vaccine, which received marketing authorization from the European Commission in July.
It’s a one-shot vaccine but earlier this month Johnson and Johnson launched a two-dose, Phase 3 trial in Britain, as there is some evidence that two doses provide better protection. Volunteers will get two shots, a 57-day interval or a placebo
Novav ax x
Maryland-based biotechnology company NovavX specializes in “protein subunit” vaccines. They use virus-like nanoparticles as a base and the coronavirus spike covers them with genetically engineered fragments of proteins.
This is also a tried and true vaccine approach. The human papillomavirus or HPV vaccine and the Flublock, Sanofi influenza vaccine, and the hepatitis B vaccine given to newborns are protein subunit vaccines.
Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline
This is also a protein subunit vaccine, using Sanofi’s Flublock technique with GlaxoSmithKline auxiliary. It also uses baclovirus to grow a few bits of spike protein.
Synovac and Synopharm
Coronavak of the Chinese company Sinovak uses a dormant virus – one of the oldest methods of vaccinating people. Full cohesive cores of coronavirus are grown, “killed” and then vaccinated. Similarly, synoform vaccines in inactivated viruses.
Sputnik
Russia’s Sputnik coronavirus vaccine is an adenovirus vector vaccine. It uses a common cold virus called adenovirus 5 to carry the genetic material to the spike protein in the body.
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