JapanShionogi pharmaceutical company will clinical trial phase three of Covid-19 vaccine this month in Vietnam and some Asian countries.
At a press conference on November 1, Isao Teshirogi, director of Shionogi, said that the trial volunteers were divided into two groups, including one group receiving the vaccine, the other receiving a placebo. Vaccines follow the “recombinant protein” technology. After the trial, the company intends to submit clinical data to the World Health Organization (WHO) for urgent authorization.
Vietnam is one of the countries selected to test Shionogi’s vaccine. It is not clear how many Vietnamese people participated in this vaccine trial and when the trial will be.
Previously, in July, Shionogi signed a technology transfer agreement with Vabiotech and Progressive International Corporation (AIC). The transferred vaccine technology is the Recombinant SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein (BaculovirusExpression Vector System), ie the production technology of recombinant vaccines. No. 1 Vaccine and Biological Products Company Limited (Vabiotech), under the Ministry of Health, is one of the largest and oldest vaccine manufacturers in Vietnam.
Shionogi pharmaceutical company will test and compare the safety and effectiveness of this vaccine with products from Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZenaca. Shionogi also tested the effects of a booster dose.
Shionogi’s recombinant protein vaccine uses modified insect cells to make copies of the nCoV protein S. The technology has been used by Novavax, Sanofi and GSK in the development of vaccines.
Isao Teshirogi, chief executive officer of Shinogi pharmaceutical company, speaks at a press conference on November 1. Photo: Nikkei
Shionogi hopes to be approved by Japanese regulators and inject it into the population by the end of March next year, Teshirogi said.
Shionogi is also developing an oral Covid-19 drug, starting a phase 2-3 trial in Japan at the end of September. The drug is also expected to be tested in Vietnam, Singapore, South Korea and the UK at the earliest. at the end of this month. The company decided to test abroad because the number of domestic nCoV infections is below 300 per day. Shionogi aims to apply for drug approval in Japan by the end of this year.
Shionogi’s drug inhibits an enzyme necessary for viral replication. Many US manufacturers like Merck are also developing oral drugs to treat Covid-19 quickly at home, even in the early stages of illness.
Thuc Linh (Follow Nikkei)
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