BANGKOK (THAILAND) – Thai researchers are all set to start human trials of a potential coronavirus vaccine in November. They are preparing for 10,000 doses, a senior official said on Sunday, adding that the shot would be ready for use by late next year.
After finding favourable results from trials on primates, the next step is human trials, said Kiat Ruxrungtham, director of the Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University vaccine development programme.
“At first we were going to send them in June, but it was not easy to plan everything,” Kiat told the media.
China is leading the race for a vaccine, with an experimental shot by Sinovac Biotech Ltd.
He said Thailand’s first facility should complete production in October and the products would be sent to the second facility, which should be over by November. The original target was September, but Kiat said not enough vaccine can be ready by then.
Facilities in San Diego and Vancouver will come out with 10,000 doses for the trials for 5,000 people. The first group, aged 18 to 60, will receive different doses of the vaccine, he said.
The trials will not accept volunteers “until we receive approval from the Thai Food and Drug Administration and an ethics committee,” Kiat said.
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
This story has been edited by BH staff and is published from a syndicated field