Trials of different Covid-19 vaccine candidates continue as people around the world contract the coronavirus disease, which has also claimed millions of lives. With many countries, especially in Europe, experiencing a second wave of the pandemic, the need for a Covid-19 vaccine is being felt more and more.
Click here for full Covid-19 coverage
In offering a glimmer of hope, India’s Bharat Biotech International Limited, which is conducting phase three trials of its candidate vaccine in the country, has said it plans to enroll between 1,000 and 2,000 volunteers each in metropolitan areas such as Delhi, Mumbai. , Hyderabad and Kolkata. In addition, the American Pfizer Inc and the German BioNTech SE have applied for an emergency use authorization in the United States for their joint vaccine candidate.
Here are the latest updates on a possible Covid-19 vaccine:
1. Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech, whose vaccine candidate is called Covaxin, said in a statement to Mint that interested volunteers staying near the trial site can meet with the principal investigator to participate in the trial. People under the age of 18, as well as those who previously tested positive for Covid-19, will not be eligible, the company said. Bharat Biotech began phase three trials of Covaxin earlier this week in what is the largest efficacy trial ever conducted in India. The company is also in contact with Brazil, the third most affected country in the world, to offer the South American nation its vaccine candidate, CEO Sai Prasad told Reuters.
2. The emergency use authorization (EUA) requested by Pfizer and BioNTech comes just days after the two companies reported that their vaccine candidate, BNT162b2, was found to be 95% effective without major safety concerns. In a video posted on the company’s website on Friday, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla confirmed that a request was made to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding authorization for use. of emergency.
3. Britain-based AstraZeneca began late-stage testing on Saturday of an experimental long-acting monoclonal antibody combination drug that it hopes can be used to protect those at risk of coronavirus for up to 12 months. A total of 5,000 people from European countries and also from the US will be recruited for phase testing of the drug, called AZD7442. The treatment of such a drug would differ from that of a vaccine in that it introduces antibodies, instead of prompting the body’s immune system to produce them.
(With contributions from the agency)
.
