Vaccine Developed in US Could Prevent Spread of Coronavirus

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – US scientists are working to develop a vaccine that could block the coronavirus which has so far infected nearly 8,000 people in several countries and killed nearly 200 people. The vaccine could start being tested within a few months.

Inovio pharmaceutical company’s laboratory in San Diego, California, is currently one of the centers where the vaccine is being developed. Scientists at Inovio hope to have the product ready to be tested in humans by early summer and have already given it a name: the “INO-4800”.

The fact that the Chinese authorities were quick to release the genetic code for the virus helped the scientists determine its source, mutations it may undergo as the outbreak develops, and how best to protect the world’s population from contagion.

“As soon as China supplied the virus’ DNA sequence, we managed to load it into our computer technology and develop the prototype of a vaccine in just three hours,” Kate Broderick, vice president of research and development at Inovio, explained to the BBC.

Should initial trials be successful, more trials will be carried out, particularly in China, which could happen by the end of this year. If the timeline set by Inovio is confirmed, this will be the fastest developed and tested vaccine in an outbreak scenario.

The last time a similar virus emerged in 2002 – Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) – China took its time to share information with the world, so the epidemic was already nearing its end when a vaccine was developed.

How the coronavirus vaccine works

The team behind the vaccine development uses new DNA technology and works with a biotechnology company in Beijing.

“Our vaccines are a breakthrough because they use the DNA sequences of the virus to target specific parts of the pathogen,” an organism capable of producing infectious diseases for its hosts, explained the head of the US company.

“Then we use the patient’s own cells as a vaccine manufacturing plant, strengthening the body’s natural response mechanisms”.

The work of this and other laboratories is financed by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), a non-governmental organization that supports the development of vaccines that prevent outbreaks.

“Our mission is to ensure that outbreaks are not a threat to humanity,” explained Melanie Saville, one of the organization’s directors, created following the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

The World Health Organization (WHO), one of the organizations involved in the global demand for a vaccine to fight the coronavirus, says there is no guarantee that any of the projects under development will be safe and effective enough to be used.

“Experts will consider various criteria, including vaccine safety, immune responses and the availability of laboratories to manufacture sufficient doses within the time required,” the WHO spokesperson explained.

Source: Agência Brasil