ISLAMABAD: Preliminary clinical trials for a coronavirus vaccine, produced by Australia’s Flinders University, will begin in two weeks in Pakistan.
According to details, the University of Health Sciences (UHS) Punjab has collaborated with Australia’s Flinders University in this regard to combat the novel coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed the lives of more than 6,000 people in Pakistan.
UHS Vice-Chancellor Dr. Javed informed that in this pilot project, 25 people will be given the vaccine. “If the vaccine proves effective, the trial will be expanded to more people,” he added.
Karachi’s Jinnah Sindh Medical University will also be made part of the project. UHS Vice-Chancellor further informed that the vaccine will reach Pakistan in the coming days and clinical trials will begin after approval from the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP).
The vaccine candidate, known as COVAX-19, had produced promising results in trials in Australia. All participants developed antibodies to the new coronavirus.
Phase I clinical trials for the vaccine started on July 2 at the Royal Adelaide Hospital in South Australia. The Central Adelaide Local Health Network Human Research Ethics Committee has approved phase II trials after phase I generated an immune response.
It is worth mentioning here that the data has still not been published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.
ADVERTISEMENT
