Home International First Covid-19 vaccine test results expected by July, says German firm

First Covid-19 vaccine test results expected by July, says German firm

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Clinical trials on human volunteers aim to determine the safety, effectiveness and optimal dosage of four potential coronavirus vaccines

GERMAN pharmaceutical company Biontech said on Tuesday it expects to see the first results from its clinical trials for a coronavirus vaccine in late June or July.

The clinical trials on human volunteers, being carried out in Germany and the United States, aim to determine the safety, effectiveness and optimal dosage of four potential coronavirus vaccines, chief executive Ugur Sahin said on a conference call.

Biontech, of Mainz, Germany, and US-based Pfizer are collaborating to build production capacity, with the expectation that millions of doses of a vaccine could be available by the end of this year if it receives the necessary regulatory approval, Sahin said.

The first vaccine tests on humans began in April, Sahin said. Doses of 1 to 100 micrograms were administered to find the optimal dosage for further studies.

In Europe, 200 healthy volunteers between the ages of 18 and 55 are part of the trial. In the US, as many as 360 healthy volunteers will be vaccinated – initially only with test subjects between ages 18 and 55, but later also with older participants.

Biontech also reported on Tuesday that its first quarter revenue rose by 5.7 per cent to 27.7 million euros, and its cash and cash reserves stood at 451.6 million euros at the end of March.

The costs of research and development for the Covid-19 vaccine are largely being covered by partnerships with Pfizer and Fosun Pharma of China.

– dpa

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