Global players in the vaccine race lies at various stages of trials as they all seek production and authorisation approval.
With the COVID-19 pandemic throwing the entire world in a kind of a whirlwind, there is a global race for developing the vaccine against the virus. The top players- vaccines developed by AstraZeneca-Oxford, Moderna, Sputnik-V and BioNTech- Pfizer are at various levels of clinical and human trials to produce the most efficient and accessible protection from the virus.
AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine
The vaccine developed by this partnership has reached higher levels of trials in India which is carried out by the Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII). SII has decided to continue with the two full dosage regimen of the vaccine as originally developed.
However, a lower dosage of a first-half dose followed by a second full dose regimen has proved to be over 92% efficient in UK and Brazil, unlike the former one which has about 62% efficacy.
AstraZeneca has also been facing issues of releasing convoluted data and non-transparent trial data. The researchers have commented that the combined dose regimen is likely to deliver a 70% efficacy rate. Such discrepancy and differing trial results have raised a number of doubts and questions. However, the partnership is still continuing with global trials and more details are yet to be declared.
To win further ground for support in the EU, the vaccine must have at least 50% efficacy in both older and younger age groups. Till now, there have been no adverse hospitalisations after inducing the vaccine shot, and thus proves a positive sign.
Sputnik-V
The vaccine developed by Russia has entered late stage-III clinical trials in UAE, Belarus, Belarus, the UAE, Venezuela and other countries, as well as Phase II-III in India. Dr Reddy’s has entered into a partnership with Russia’s sovereign wealth Fund RDIF for the clinical trials. According to a report by Moneycontrol, the RDIF COO Kirill Dmitriev said that the production can be started after approval in January itself.
The vaccine has shown about 95% efficacy on the 42nd day after the first dose, which is equivalent to 21 days after the second dose. Dr Reddy’s shall produce and distribute about 100 million doses of the vaccine.
Moderna
Clinical trials of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by US-based Moderna Inc has reached late stages and has shown 94% efficacy results with no serious side effects. Moderna will apply for emergency authorization from US and EU after efficiency data. The vaccine, mRNA-1273 has an almost 100% rate of preventing severe cases in phase –III trial.
However, the Moderna vaccine candidate may pose a hurdle for India in terms of extreme cold storage and transportation facilities.
BioNtech-Pfizer
The vaccine candidate developed by US-based Pfizer Inc and BioNTech partnership is another global player. The vaccine has reportedly shown about 95% efficacy in their third phase of clinical trials and the partnership has also applied for conditional authorization to the European drugs regulator, European Medicines Agency (EMA) after applying for authorization in the US on November 20. Following in close heels with it is the candidate by Moderna.
This vaccine also faces a number of hurdles in India in the form of extreme cold storage conditions of -70 degrees Celsius as well as huge production and distribution costs. The vaccine also needs to be injected within three days of removal from storage, thus posing another limitation.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Coronavirus vaccine")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}