23rd March 2020: On Thursday, Dawn.com reported that a Chinese pharma has offered to conduct clinical trials of the COVID-19 vaccine in Pakistan. A Chinese pharmaceutical company called Sinopharm has invited the National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad to work together.
The collaboration was initiated in a letter that was sent to the National Institute of Health (NIH) Executive Director Maj Gen Dr. Aaemer Ikram by Li Can, general manager of China Sinopharm International Corp. that said, “a successful clinical trial in Pakistan will make it one of [the] first few countries for the launch of a COVID-19 vaccine”
Dr. Aaemar while speaking to dawn said the deal seems to be pretty decent for Pakistan.”We want to increase the trend of clinical trials in the country. There are a number of laws before it can start; it has to be approved by the ethics committee, et al, but we will start when we get the clearance.”
28th of February: Moderna, a US-based biotech company has claimed that its Coronavirus vaccines are ready for the first tests.
The experimental vaccines have now been shipped just six weeks after it started working on the immunization.
The initial trials of the ‘potential’ vaccine may begin from April, however, it is also expected that the trial and test period can go on for at least a year.
In a statement made by Moderna on Monday claims that that the first batch of its vaccine called mRNA-1273, has been dispatched to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
Moderna also added that the first vials of the experimental vaccine would be used in a planned Phase 1 study in the United States, which typically involves testing a vaccine on a small number of healthy humans.
What’s in mRNA Vaccines?
Moderna has yet to produce a proven vaccine using its mRNA technology platform that aims to make drugs that will help the human body to make proteins to prevent or fight disease.
The drugs will make use of messenger ribonucleic acid, a molecule vital to the proper functioning of the body’s cells.