Russia became the first country to complete the human trials of the world's first Covid-19 vaccine at Sechenov University on Sunday.
The clinical trials were carried on on June 18 with the first group of 18 volunteers and the second group of 23 volunteers.
This group was vaccinated on 23 June with the first dosage of the vaccine candidate at the Gamalei Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology.
All the volunteers between the ages of 18 to 65 spent 28 days in isolation in order to prevent them from contracting other infections.
According to Elena Smolyarchuk chief researcher for the Russian Center for Clinical Research on Medications at Sechenov University, some of the volunteers of the study had developed minor side effects of the vaccine candidate such as headache and fever. And within 24 hours, the symptoms had moderated.
She said, “The research has been completed and it proved that the vaccine is safe. The volunteers will be discharged on 15 July and 20 July.”
According to a report, the Russian scientists are hopeful to launch the world’s first coronavirus vaccine by mid-August as Alexander, who is the director of Gamalei centre, is hopeful that the vaccine candidate will ‘enter civil circulation’ by August 12-14.
Last month, Russia was granted approval for clinical trials of two formulations of potential coronavirus vaccine, which was developed by the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology.
The first one was carried out at the Burdenko Military Hospital. The other vaccine was given to test patients at the Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University who assessed the vaccine in the form of a powder for the preparation of an intramuscular solution.
According to the World Health Organization, a vaccine candidate needs to pass three phases of clinical trials successfully before getting the go-ahead for mass production for public use.
Institute for Translational Medicine and Biotechnology director Vadim Tarasov stated, “Sechenov University in a pandemic situation acted not only as an educational institution but also as a scientific and technological research centre that is able to participate in the creation of such important and complex products as drugs…”
“We worked with this vaccine, starting with preclinical studies and protocol development, and clinical trials are currently underway.” He added.
Nearly two dozen possible COVID-19 vaccines are in various stages of testing around the world including Candidates from China and Britain's Oxford University also are entering final testing stages.
On Tuesday, Moderna also announced its aim to begin its final phase of testing for its coronavirus vaccine on July 27.
It is the first company in the U.S. to begin testing coronavirus vaccines in humans, giving its first dose March 16.
Moderna issued data from its phase 1 clinical trial that was carried out on Tuesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The trial that involved 45 participants was meant to test a new drug's safety, not its effectiveness.
However, the company said results from all 45 participants showed they developed antibodies key to fighting the virus.
U.S. officials and scientists are hopeful a vaccine to prevent Covid-19 will be ready in the first half of 2021.
Around the world, governments are still using hundreds of millions of doses of the different candidates, in hopes of speedily starting injections if any are proven to work.
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