Coronavirus vaccines by WHO

Researchers around the world are racing to develop a vaccine against Covid-19, with more than 140 candidate vaccines now tracked by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Vaccines normally require years of testing and additional time to produce at scale, but scientists are hoping to develop a coronavirus vaccine within 12 to 18 months.

Vaccines mimic the virus – or part of the virus – they protect against, stimulating the immune system to develop antibodies. They must follow higher safety standards than other drugs because they are given to millions of healthy people.

Recent vaccine news

Preliminary results from a combined phase 1/2 trial show that the University of Oxford vaccine generates a strong immune response. 2 weeks ago

The UK government is buying 90 million doses of two different vaccines, hoping that one will turn out to work. 2 weeks ago

How are vaccines tested?

In the pre-clinical stage of testing, researchers give the vaccine to animals to see if it triggers an immune response.

In phase 1 of clinical testing, the vaccine is given to a small group of people to determine whether it is safe and to learn more about the immune response it provokes.

In phase 2, the vaccine is given to hundreds of people so scientists can learn more about its safety and correct dosage.

In phase 3, the vaccine is given to thousands of people to confirm its safety – including rare side effects – and effectiveness. These trials involve a control group which is given a placebo.

Vaccines in clinical trials

Phase in progress

Phase completed

University of Oxford/AstraZeneca

The University of Oxford vaccine is delivered via a chimpanzee virus, called the vaccine vector. The vector contains the genetic code of the protein spikes found on the coronavirus and triggers a strong immune response in the human body. The vaccine is in a combined phase 2/3 trial in the UK and has recently gone into phase 3 trials in South Africa and Brazil.

Moderna/NIAID

American biotech company Moderna is developing a vaccine candidate using messenger RNA (or mRNA for short) to trick the body into producing viral proteins itself. No mRNA vaccine has ever been approved for an infectious disease, and Moderna has never brought a product to market. But proponents of the vaccine say it could be easier to mass produce than traditional vaccines.

Sinovac

Chinese company Sinovac is developing a vaccine based on inactivated Covid-19 particles. The vaccine has shown a promising safety profile in the early stages of testing and is now moving into Phase 3 trials in Brazil.

Wuhan Institute of Biological Products/Sinopharm

Beijing Institute of Biological Products/Sinopharm

BioNTech/Fosun Pharma/Pfizer

Bharat Biotech

Novavax

Cadila Healthcare Limited

CanSino Biologics Inc./Beijing Institute of Biotechnology

Anhui Zhifei Longcom Biopharmaceutical/Institute of

Arcturus/Duke-NUS

Kentucky Bioprocessing, Inc

Inovio Pharmaceuticals/ International Vaccine Institute

Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies

Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences

Genexine Consortium

Osaka University/ AnGes/ Takara Bio

Vaxine Pty Ltd/Medytox

Medicago Inc.

University of Queensland/CSL/Seqirus

Gamaleya Research Institute

Clover Biopharmaceuticals Inc./GSK/Dynavax

Imperial College London

Curevac

People's Liberation Army (PLA) Academy of Military Sciences/Walvax Biotech.

Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corporation/NIAID/Dynavax

University of Melbourne/Murdoch Children’s Research Institute

The Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Australia is conducting a phase 3 trial using a nearly 100-year-old tuberculosis vaccine. The vaccine is not thought to protect directly against Covid-19 but might boost the body’s non-specific immune response.

Written by Fawad