The corona vaccine being developed by the University of Oxford shows promising results, according to the scientists involved. Vaccineologist Sarah Gilbert told British MPs that the vaccine induced “the correct way of an immune response” during tests.
Thousands of people around the world are now participating in the tests, Gilbert said. People have been vaccinated in Brazil and South Africa, among others. According to her, this is necessary now that there are fewer infections in Great Britain. 8000 people have been vaccinated in that country. It is planned that a trial with 30,000 participants will start in August in the United States.
Four European countries, including the Netherlands, have signed an agreement with the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca for 300 to 400 million “promising doses” of AZD1222, the vaccine being developed in Oxford. AstraZeneca has purchased a license to market the drug.
The scientists have warned British parliamentarians not to be overly optimistic. They do not expect the vaccine to be available in the winter, nor can they say when the vaccine would be available. “It all depends on the results. We have to have those results before the vaccine can be used,” said Gilbert.
“Encouraging Results” American-German Vaccine
German company BioNTech and American pharmaceutical company Pfizer also said today that they are achieving “encouraging” results with one of their experimental vaccines. 24 volunteers who received two doses of that vaccine had antibodies in their bodies and no side effects were noted.
The two companies plan to begin global human testing in the summer. If all goes well, up to 100 million doses could be produced by the end of this year and 1.2 billion doses of the vaccine by the end of next year.
Earlier this week, the US company Inovio Pharmaceuticals said its experimental vaccine also showed encouraging results in tests on 40 volunteers. That company also pointed out that there are preliminary tests.
USA buys almost all capacity for brake desivir
Yesterday, it was announced that the United States had purchased nearly all of its production capacity for the corona drug remdesivir for the next three months. Health Minister Azar said President Trump has signed “a great deal” with US pharmaceutical company Gilead. This concerns full capacity for July, and 90 percent for August and September.
“It’s a drug that inhibits the virus, that’s how we put it,” said hospital pharmacist Emilie Gieling, who is also chairman of the Outbreak Management Team of the Dutch Association of Hospital Pharmacists. “It is used in people who are hospitalized with a serious infection and who also have oxygen needs.”
The drug is administered through an IV. “It was initially developed and tested to see if it works against Ebola. But it is currently registered for corona pneumonia,” says Gieling.
Stock built up
Several countries have already built up a stock of brake desivir, including the Netherlands. That stock is managed by RIVM. According to a spokesman for the Ministry of Health, there is currently enough stock. “The demand is low. And we have made a firm agreement with Gilead that if more patients come, more of this drug will come to the Netherlands.”
Last week, the drug was approved by European drug authorities under conditions. According to the Medicines Evaluation Board, patients recover on average four days earlier after treatment with remdesivir.
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