There is news emerging from Russia that a covid-19 vaccine being developed in the country has passed the phase of human trial, an excerpt of the news reads thus:
Elena Smolyarchuk, chief researcher for the Russian Center for Clinical Research on Medications at Sechenov University, told TASS newswire on Sunday that human trials for the vaccine had been completed and those test patients will be discharged soon.
I think UK was way ahead in vaccine game and they have the right kind of partnerships to work efficiently led by huge manufacturer astra zeneca but after starting human trials there has been silence from them or maybe they will update about it after completion of trials. I hope humanity will get out of this trouble soon.
One thing that has become apparent during this pandemic is just how eager a lot of countries are to claim that they are 'world leaders' in fighting it. Probably the closest we have to an impartial source is the
Draft landscape of COVID-19 candidate vaccines from the World Health Organisation (today, PDF available from the linked page), which suggests that Sinovac (China) and Oxford/AstraZeneca (UK) are leading the way, and are the only candidates that are currently at Phase 3 of development. Moderna/NIAID are also about to start Phase 3, but haven't done so yet. Specific details of the Phase 3 trials
here (Sinovac) and
here (AstraZeneca).
Summary and visualisation (from
the Guardian) below:
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.
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.
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.
CanSino Biologics Inc./Beijing Institute of Biotechnology
The vaccine developed by Chinese company CanSino Biologics and the Beijing Institute of Biotechnology – a university close to the Chinese military – reportedly showed promising results in phase 2 testing, although no data from the trial has been published. In a world first, the vaccine has now been approved for military use, but it is unclear how broadly it will be distributed.
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.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2020/jul/15/coronavirus-vaccine-tracker-how-close-are-we-to-a-vaccine