US conducts first human test of coronavirus vaccine

Raising hopes of a possible cure to COVID-19 which has infected more than 168,000 people and left 6,500 dead across the globe, the United States has already conducted its first human trial of the vaccine to test its efficacy, US health officials said on Monday (March 16).

According to reports, the vaccine was tested on four patients at the Kaiser Permanente research facility in Seattle, Washington.

The vaccine named mRNA-1273 has been developed by scientists of the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) and collaborators at Cambridge-based biotechnology company Mordena. The project was funded by Oslo-based Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). It has been formulated by taking a harmless genetic code copied from the current strain of coronavirus.

However, it may take more trial phases to show that it works and another 12 to 18 months for it to hit the market.

“The open-label trial will enroll 45 healthy adult volunteers ages 18 to 55 years over approximately six weeks,” an AFP report quoted the NIH as saying. “The first participant received the investigational vaccine today.”

“Finding a safe and effective vaccine to prevent infection with SARS-CoV-2 is an urgent public health priority,” said Anthony Fauci, head of infectious diseases at the NIH, using the technical name for the virus that is believed to have originated in bats.

“This Phase 1 study, launched in record speed, is an important first step toward achieving that goal.”

According to AFP, the Seattle trial will study the impact of different doses delivered by intramuscular injection in the upper arm, with participants monitored for side-effects like soreness or fever.

Simultaneously, an antiviral treatment called remdesivir, formulated by US-based Gilead Sciences is in the final stages of trials in Asia. Doctors in China have testified its efficacy to treat the disease.

Another DNA-based vaccine, being made by US pharma called Inovio, will enter clinical trials next month.