HO CHI MINH CITY – Nanocovax, a Covid-19 vaccine being produced in Vietnam, will be used on humans in a clinical trial from December 17, the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported today.
Do Minh Sy, R&D dof the vaccine producer Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology JSC, said yesterday that the company’s Covid-19 vaccine's research and production project has been carried out since March, and that Nanocovax has been developed based on recombinant protein technology.
Like any medicine or vaccine, Nanocovax has undergone development stages and strict tests, he said, adding it has been tested on laboratory mice, hamsters and monkeys, and shown “very positive” results, so the firm decided to apply for human trials, VNA reported.
With the Health Ministry’s permission, the first phase of human trials beginning on December 17 will involve 60 people aged between 18 and 50 and in good health.
After about two to four weeks, they will be tested for Covid-19 antibodies and moved into the second phase, which is set to begin in January next year with about 400 volunteers aged 18 to 60.
The third stage will cover 3,000 people between 12 and 70 years old and begin in March, Sy said.
According to VNA, if the human trials are successful, the firm will manufacture some two million doses on a trial basis in the form of injections, nasal spray and eye drops, to meet the needs of different age groups. Its maximum production capacity is about 50 million doses a year, according to Sy.
Apart from Nanocovax, Vietnam has several other Covid-19 candidate vaccines being developed by Vabiotech, Polyvac and the Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals. – Bernama, December 10, 2020
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