Locally made COVID-19 vaccine Covivac evaluated in Canada
VOV.VN - Samples of Covivac, a Vietnamese produced coronavirus vaccine, have been sent to Canada for evaluation of its effectiveness, according to Prof. Dr. Dang Duc Anh, director of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE).
Anh said the NIHE and the Hanoi Medical University have just completed the first phase of human clinical trial of the Covivac which was developed by the Institute of Vaccines and Biological Medical (Ivac).
Domestic studies show the vaccine is safe and it generates a positive immune response. Samples of the vaccines have been sent to Canada for evaluation by an independent organization, and the results would be available by late June.
“As soon as we received the results of the evaluation, we will report them to the Ethics Committee under the Ministry of Health and ask for a permission to launch the second phase,” said Anh.
The health professional added that if the proposal gets the go-ahead, the second phase would begin this July with the engagement of thousands of volunteers.
He also expressed his hope that the third phase would be carried out late this year so that the vaccine would be commercially marketed early next year.
Covivac is the second locally made vaccine which has been approved for human testing.
Meanwhile, the first Vietnamese coronavirus vaccine, Nano Covax, is entering the third and final phase of its human clinical trial.
About 1,000 out of 13 registered volunteers have received the first shot, and its developer, Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology JSC, expected to complete the phase by the middle of August at the latest.
Nanogen has recently submitted a proposal to the Prime Minister, asking for a permission to approve its vaccine for emergency use in Vietnam.
