Cambridge joins race for vaccine

A VACCINE by Cambridge University could start clinical trials as early as the autumn after receiving £1.9million from the Government.

The vaccine, developed by start-up company DIOSynVax, is good news for those afraid of needles, as it will be delivered using a high-powered jet of air to push it through the skin of the arm.

It contains DNA which triggers the body to make key parts of the coronavirus, which should train the immune system to recognise the virus so it can fight it off before it can spread. The vaccine, which is still in development, is innovative as it can be freeze-dried in powder form and does not need to be kept chilled, which makes it much better for use in poorer countries.

Innovate UK, the Government’s innovation agency, has provided the funding for a collaboration between DIOSynVax, which is contributing an additional £400,000 to the trial, with Cambridge and the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust. Meanwhile Professor Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, said it is possible scientists could know if Oxford University’s vaccine is safe and works, and give the data on this to officials by the end of the year..

The decision from regulators is the last step before the jab can be made available in doctors’ surgeries and pharmacies.

The Oxford vaccine is one of the global frontrunners among more than 170 vaccines in development worldwide, and the UK and US governments have already struck deals to buy millions of doses.

■ AstraZeneca has treated the first volunteers with its coronavirus antibody treatment. The firm hopes it will neutralise the virus before it takes hold in people who have been exposed to it, such as doctors.