Covid vaccine race heats up as China puts $1Bn behind Sinovac; Oxford's trial in Phase 3

Sivac: China

Beijing-based pharmaceutical and biotech firm Sivac signed a deal with Brazillian counterpart Instituto Butantan last week, to develop a vaccine and conduct furr tests in South American nation. As global race intensifies to come up with a viable COVID-19 vaccine, China is fighting tooth-and-nail to be first one to develop a working vaccine in fight against vel Coronavirus.

On Wednesday, July 22, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, anunced that China will loan $1 billion to South America and Caribbean islands for COVID-19 vaccine access, despite a working product where close to being ready. 

In a virtual garing attended by leaders from Central and Latin America, Mexican Foreign Ministry ted in its statement that Sivac's vaccine developed in China will have "universal access" and that China is "dedicated to supporting access to vaccine for Latin America".

Read | Largest COVID-19 vaccine study under way in US

Oxford Clinical trials: AstraZeneca (UK)

As Oxford vaccine made by UK's AstraZeneca enters final phase of COVID-19 trials in Brazil, over 5,000 volunteers signed up to be a part of it. ChAdOx1 vaccine is currently being developed by Oxford University in collaboration with biopharma company AstraZeneca. 

tably, at end of May, World Health Organisation's lead scientist Soumya Swaminathan, called ChAdOx1 "most advanced COVID-19 vaccine candidate," and drug has since been subject of a lot of media attention. 

Phases one and two of clinical trial took place in April in England. Over 1,000 test subjects who volunteered were administered drug and ir immune responses were gauged for vital signs of improvement.

third and final development phase was shifted to Brazil in coordination with Federal University of Sao Paulo's Reference Center for Special Immubiologicals

Read | Human clinical trial of COVID-19 vaccine ‘Covaxin’ begins in Odisha

Moderna, Pfizer's mRNA COVID vaccine run (US)

US has roped in two pharmaceutical giants Pfizer and Moderna to work on arranging a clinical trial for ir COVID-19 vaccine mRNA. trial is presumed to be largest compared to its competitors, as it has recruited 30,000 volunteers from 89 different sites across Brazil to test vaccine's effectiveness. This will be first time a drug with a test capacity as large as this will be approved for trails by National Institutes of Health.

News ncy AP reported five days ago that Pfizer cut a deal with US government for $1.95 billion to develop 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine in country. report, based on a press release anunced that company planned to conduct phase 3 trials by end of July and also hoped that FDA approval and licensing will be awarded by October if trials are successful.

Read | Emergent inks $174 million deal with AstraZeneca to produce COVID-19 vaccine candidate

Operation Warp Speed

Brazil is an important ground for COVID-19 vaccines as three largest players in world speed up ir process to get approval from regulatory bodies at home. Latin America has suffered ermously since it became epicentre of global pandemic in late May. With over 2.2 million people affected in Brazil alone, it currently stands as second worst-hit country after US. As such, once vaccine is ready and approved, both Sivac and Instituto Butantan will start trial phase with 9,000 people.

While scientists across world are toiling to find a cure in record time, Trump administration and Communist Party of China is sinking in more money in race to be first country to develop a vaccine that will t only be made universally available but also be able to reap financial benefits at a critical time such as this.

Read | World’s biggest coronavirus vaccine trial gets underway in US