Another potential vaccine competitor from the US, Modern Inc, is expected to release its first interim data on late-stage trials of its vaccine candidate which the experts believe is likely to show effective results. Moderna's vaccine candidate uses an identical mRNA technology like Pfizer.
Last week, Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech based on the primary data from its phase three trials declared their experimental covid vaccine to be more than 90 per cent effective in treating the virus.
Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious-disease expert, after observing the results said that the country may begin the vaccination process of the priority groups at the end of December.
As per the World Health Organization (WHO), presently more than 150 Covid-19 vaccines are in the development stage, with around 44 candidates in clinical trials and 11 undergoing late-stage testing.
Here is a status of the Covid-19 vaccine frontrunners:-
Moderna covid vaccine
US drugmaker Moderna Inc is likely to release its first interim analysis data on the late-stage trials of its vaccine candidate which includes more than 53 cases. It said preliminary data of its Phase III mRNA-1273 vaccine trials was being prepared for submission to the monitoring board, raising hopes that initial results would be released soon. Moderna has stated that if interim evaluation proved the vaccine to be at least 70 per cent effective, it would seek emergency-use authorisation for its vaccine candidate in high-risk groups. The firm is aiming to produce 20 million doses of its experimental vaccine by the end of the year.
AstraZeneca-Oxford covid vaccine
Serum Institute of India, which is conducting Phase 2/3 trials of the Oxford University vaccine called Covishield in India, said it was striving to produce 100 million doses by December. Serum Institute CEO Adar Poonawalla said if the late-stage trial data shows the vaccine candidate to provide effective protection from the virus, the Pune-based firm might get emergency-use sanction by December. He further added that preliminary results have shown that there were no immediate concerns about the Covishield vaccine and so far the firm has manufactured 40 million doses of the Oxford vaccine in the past two months. SII also plans to start producing Novavax’s contender soon.
Pfizer covid vaccine
Pfizer and its German firm BioNTech last week disclosed its preliminary data of late-stage trials claiming the vaccine to be more than 92 per cent effective. Though it is the first company to claim this, volunteers have compared the shot’s side effects to a “severe hangover” and said it left them with headaches, fever and muscle aches. Pfizer is expected to ask US authorisation for emergency use of the vaccine for people aged 16 to 85 in December.
Also Read: Russian Covid vaccine Sputnik V arrives in India, human clinical trial to begin soon
Sputnik V covid vaccine
Russia’s Covid-19 vaccine, Sputnik-V which is developed by the Gamaleya National Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, has arrived in India and trials will begin soon. In India, Dr Reddy’s will test the vaccine candidate on around 1,500 participants in a Phase 2/3 clinical trial across at least 10 sites claimed its vaccine was 92 per cent effective in preventing the covid virus in its trials which included 16,000 participants. There are two sorts of the Sputnik V vaccine - one is liquid, which would have to be stored at minus 18 degrees Celsius and lyophilised (freeze-dried), which requires 2-8 degrees Celsius of temperature for storage.
Johnson and Johnson covid vaccine
In October, Johnson & Johnson had to halt its trials over safety concerns but will now spend about $604 million in expanding its deal with the US government to develop its single-shot JNJ-78436735 vaccine. At present, the firm is using modified adenovirus shots in adults in a 60,000-volunteer Phase III study. The first batches J&J vaccine candidate could be available as soon as January.