Covid, human trials are underway for the second Italian vaccine. First volunteer of a 21-year-old boy

At least three vaccines will be approved (except for setbacks) in the coming months by the EMA and will be added to those of Pfizer-Biontech, Moderna and Astrazeneca. But other vaccines, on the other hand, are at the beginning of the path of experimentation. This is the case of what can be defined as the second Italian vaccine after that of Reithera-Spallanzani which recently received the green light from the Italian Medicines Agency for phase 2 of the trial. A 21-year-old boy is the first volunteer for the 0.5 mg dose of e-Vax, the anti-Covid vaccine created by the Roman company Takis with Monza Rottapharm biotech. In fact, it starts at Saint Gerard of Monza, or rather in the Phase 1 Research Center, located on the tenth floor of sector A, the first phase of human experimentation of this vaccine that uses a DNA platform and is inoculated with an electroporator. A shock-giving tool that allows the DNA fragment to enter cells.

“Last December we conducted a study with the electroporator: we wanted to test the symptoms of the procedure, in order to then be able to provide the subjects who will be enrolled in the trial as much detail as possible – he explained in recent days. Marina Cazzaniga, director of the research center – I have undergone the procedure myself, in order to better explain how it feels. “This type of vaccine”it could be very important in the future“Why, explained Paolo Bonfanti director of the San Gerardo Infectious Diseases Clinic, there is “the possibility of modifying it by adapting it to the appearance of variants of the virus not sensitive to current vaccines”, not to mention that it is stable at room temperature (therefore without the need to guarantee the chain cold and have super freezers) and can be “administered many times, in case it is necessary to repeat the anti-Covid vaccines every year.”

After the first vaccination they will wait two days to see if there are any side effects, then two more volunteers will be vaccinated and, after another two days, another three. In total twenty people and the experimentation will also begin in Spallanzani of Rome and at the Irccs Pascale in Naples. The same procedure will then be followed for higher doses (three different ones are tested in total, the maximum of 200 milligrams, which should not require a booster). The recruitment of volunteers for phases 1 and 2 began in August, with great success. And it is not finished yet, so much so that on the Monza Asst website you can download the form to register for healthy volunteers. “Experimenting with a vaccine capable of being modified at a time when Covid variants are spreading,” ASST Monza’s general manager underlined in the Phase 1 announcement. Mario Alparone – represents an important opportunity that must be seized “.