Scientists will test the drug on animals at the Wiltshire base before trialling on humans next month, bring together the same expertise that was successfully used in supporting the development of the Ebola vaccine, licensed in 2019
The development of a vaccine against coronavirus is edging closer as human and animal trials are set to begin next week at the Government’s secret science base Porton Down.
Scientists will test the drug, made at Oxford University, on animals at the Wiltshire base before trialling on humans next month.
In recent years, this expertise has been successfully used in supporting the development of the Ebola vaccine, licensed in 2019.
Public Health England’s (PHE) Porton Down researchers have collaborated with colleagues at Liverpool and Bristol universities to develop ‘synthetic virus’ – an exact replica of the actual virus for use in the laboratory.
This will enable them to carry out rigorous evaluation and testing of vaccines and treatments that enter the clinic.
The Times reports that the Phase II trials will begin before the results of the animal trials are known, as the Crisis lurches into its next, dramatic phase.
Normally, larger Phase III trials are needed before a drug is clinically approved. In emergencies, however, such trial vaccines are released early for key workers.
The announcement comes as a further 39 people in England were confirmed to have died after testing positive for Covid-19, bringing the UK death toll to 177.
That number is expected to rise today and in the coming weeks.
As cases continue to rise Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced sweeping new emergency measures to fight coronavirius – ordering pubs, bars, theatres and restaurants across the country to close.
The steps have been brought in in a bid to curb the spread of the virus as experts have cautioned that while the latest announcement about a vaccine is good news it may not be made widely available until next year ‘at the earliest’.
Prof Robin Shattock, from Imperial College London, told the BBC’s World at One yesterday: “The first part of testing is to check that it’s safe in humans in small numbers, and again induces the right sort of immune response.
“hat will take, even if we do things quickly, two to three months.
“The next stage would be to ramp it up and start looking at whether the vaccine actually can prevent infection in the community.
“You need to produce the data to show a vaccine works and how well it works before you can get a licence to sell that as a product.”
Scientists hope the vaccine – which contains a section of genetic code from the coronavirus – will train the body to attack the virus.
The Oxford drug is one of multiple such proto-vaccines in development worldwide, as the number of positive tests worldwide exceeded 200,000. Government advisers believe the number of cases could be as many as 10,000.
The team developing the vaccine has been awarded $500,000 by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to bolster the international response to coronavirus vaccine and treatment development.
The government has previously announced £20million of funding for vaccine development, awarded to CEPI, who will award significant further funding to support PHE’s work.
The Oxford drug is one of multiple such proto-vaccines in development worldwide, as the number of positive tests worldwide exceeded 200,000. Government advisers believe the number of cases could be as many as 10,000.
The team developing the vaccine has been awarded $500,000 by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to bolster the international response to coronavirus vaccine and treatment development.
The government has previously announced £20million of funding for vaccine development, awarded to CEPI, who will award significant further funding to support PHE’s work.
We look forward to continuing to work with world-leading academic and pharmaceutical partners to accelerate progress towards safe and effective interventions to limit the impact of this new infection as rapidly as possible.
Lord Bethell, Minister of Innovation, said: “It makes me so proud to see PHE Porton Down demonstrate its world-beating expertise with this US FDA award.
It is a powerful testimony to the expertise and commitment of the remarkable PHE team at this historic site.”
