Updated List of Vaccines published
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently reported that at least 70 potential coronavirus vaccines are currently in development, with 3 already in clinical trials. WHO published an updated list of vaccines recently, showing a vast array of companies pursuing shots that could halt the coronavirus. The pandemic has continued its devastating impact all over the world and the researchers have been racing to develop vaccines. Those research efforts involve a range of organizations from pharmaceutical giants and tiny biotech companies to academic centers and nonprofit groups.
A Lengthy and Expensive Process
Developing a new vaccine is typically a lengthy, expensive and complicated process. It requires hundreds of millions of dollars and years of testing to determine whether a vaccine is safe and effective. This pandemic is the third coronavirus outbreak of 21st century. Drugmakers and health officials have been hoping to significantly cut down those timelines in response to the severity of the current situation. Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of US National Institute of Allergy and infectious diseases said the US is at least 12 to 18 months away from seeing coronavirus vaccine, and some experts have warned that even trying to hit that deadline is a risky plan that could backfire.
Drugmakers running Human Trials
A Chinese biotech company Cansino is already working on phase two of human trials for its experimental vaccine, while US based biotech startups Inovio Pharmaceuticals and Moderna have both begun human testing. Furthermore, large corporations like Johnson & Johnson and Sanofi are also sprinting to develop vaccines. Generally, the new vaccines are required to be tested first in a lab, then in animals, and then among a small group of people for safety before they are finally tested in larger groups to see if they can prevent the disease.
