Vietnam’s second COVID-19 vaccine candidate enters human trials
A ceremony was held at the Hanoi Medical University on January 21 to kick-start clinical trials of COVIVAC, Vietnam’s second COVID-19 vaccine candidate and developed based on the new highly-infectious coronavirus variants.
COVIVAC is Vietnam’s second COVID-19 vaccine candidate and developed based on the new highly-infectious coronavirus variants. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) - A ceremony was held at the Hanoi MedicalUniversity on January 21 to kick-start clinical trials of COVIVAC, Vietnam’ssecond COVID-19 vaccine candidate and developed based on the new highly-infectiouscoronavirus variants.
The home-grown vaccine has been developed by the Nha Trang-basedInstitute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals (IVAC) and the Hanoi MedicalUniversity since last May, using primary chicken embryo cell culture, atechnique the institute used previously to successfully produce seasonal fluvaccines.
COVIVAC has undergone pre-clinical trials in India, the US, and Vietnam,said IVAC Director Dr Duong Huu Thai, adding that results showed that it satisfiesall conditions to be tested on humans.
The vaccine candidate demonstrated high immunogenicity duringpre-clinical trials. It was created based on studies of new SARS-CoV-2 strains,according to Dr Pham Van Tac, Director of the Ministry of Health’sAdministration of Science Technology and Training.
A ceremony is held at the Hanoi Medical University on January 21 to kick-start clinical trials of COVIVAC. (Photo: VNA)
“We can totally count on this vaccine candidate,” Tac said.
There will be two phases in the trial, with the first conducted on fivegroups of volunteers totalling 120 people. Each group will be given two shots28 days apart, with doses of either 1mcg, 3mcg, or 10mcg.
The volunteers, aged 18 to 59, has been recruited by the research team.
The first shot is scheduled to be injected at the Hanoi MedicalUniversity in February./.
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COVIVAC is Vietnam’s second COVID-19 vaccine candidate and developed based on the new highly-infectious coronavirus variants. (Photo: VNA)
A ceremony is held at the Hanoi Medical University on January 21 to kick-start clinical trials of COVIVAC. (Photo: VNA)
