As the coronavirus continues to terrorize the world, scientists from all over the world are working hard to develop a cure and a vaccine for the virus. A few of these rarely make any progress but now, according to new findings published in the “Lancet” journal, a new vaccine named the adenovirus type 5 vectored Covid-19 (Ad5-nCoV) maybe what cures the world.
The research stated that the vaccine was found to be safe and well tolerated in human beings and was also able to generate an immune response against the virus that causes Covid-19, which is known as SARS-CoV-2.
What are Clinical trials? Before people are exposed to a potential vaccine it is first tested in small samples of human cells or animals in laboratories countless times, if the effects of the drugs are not harmful to the cells, the vaccine is then allowed to move to Phase One trials where it is tested in real people in real time.
“The new vaccine evaluated in this trial is the first to be tested in humans. This represents an important milestone,” stated the researchers.
“The challenges in the development of a Covid-19 vaccine are unprecedented, and the ability to trigger these immune responses does not necessarily indicate that the vaccine will protect humans from Covid-19. ” Prof Wei Chen, the lead author of the study from the Beijing Institute of Biotechnology in China, however, noted that the results of the study should be interpreted cautiously as further studies are still required before the vaccine can be approved.
The research was conducted among 108 healthy adults between the ages of 18 and 60 years who did not have Covid-19. The people developed a type of antibody that can attach to the virus, though not necessarily destroy it. Some also developed the so-called neutralizing antibodies, which can block the virus.
A phase two trial has been initiated.
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