The National Ethics Committee in Biomedical Research under the Ministry of Health on August 7 held an urgent online meeting to review the results of the first phase of clinical trials of Vietnam’s domestically developed COVID-19 vaccine, Nano Covax, and to pass the mid-term assessment of its second phase.

Nano Covax has been developed by the Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology JSC based on recombinant DNA/protein technology since May 2020.

It went through the first phase of human trials from December 18, 2020, and the second phase from February 26, 2021. The third phase started on June 11, 2021, involving up to 13,000 volunteers.

Results from the first two trial phases showed that all volunteers developed antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2.

At the meeting, the committee agreed to accept the results of the first phase with data collected until the sixth month from the first dose of the phase. The first phase was conducted on 60 volunteers with three dosages of 25 mcg, 50 mcg, and 75 mcg.

With outcomes recorded from the mid-term evaluation for the second phase to the present time, the committee decided to continue to allow the implementation of the third phase with an optimal dosage of 25mcg.

All three dosages of 25mcg, 50mcg, and 75mcg of the vaccine trialled in the first two phases provided largely similar level of immune responses against the novel coronavirus.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Health Minister Tran Van Thuan affirmed that given complicated developments of the pandemic, the vaccine strategy plays a key role in prevention and control work.

He ordered the vaccine research to be done quickly but in a scientific manner to ensure that its data is reliable.

Source: VNA