Scientists in all-out effort to find vaccine
As illness and death linked to the new coronavirus accelerate across the U.S., federal officials are looking to existing and new treatments to battle the disease, while at the same time researchers worldwide race to develop a vaccine.
At a news conference Thursday, President Donald Trump said that the malaria drug chloroquine and the experimental antiviral drug remdesevir are being tested as possible COVID-19 therapies and could slow the epidemic.
“It could have a very positive effect, or a positive effect, maybe not very, but maybe positive,” Trump said. “It’s very, very exciting.”
Currently, doctors have no estab
lished treatments for those suffering from the disease caused by the new virus SARS-CoV-2 beyond supportive care, which generally includes IV liquids, oxygen, fever reducers and pain killers. As of Thursday, more than 150 people in 22 states had died, with more than 11,000 cases nationwide.
The first coronavirus vaccine trial got underway Monday, marking the start of an all-out effort by thousands of scientists in what in research terms is a blindingly fast response to the global threat. As of last week, the World Health Organization had posted a list of 41 possible vaccine candidates on its site.
It will be at least a year to 18 months before any vaccine is ready for largescale use, according to most estimates. Before being deployed, vaccines must go through multiple rounds of testing to make sure they are safe, effective and don’t have unintended consequences.
Researchers are not starting from scratch. Work on two previous coronaviruses, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) provide a road map for how to create an immune response to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the illness COVID-19.
The process was immensely sped up by the decision of professor Yong-Zhen Zhang at the Shanghai Public Health
Clinical Center in China to publish the virus’ genome on Jan. 10.
Early financial support from the Oslo-based Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), a nonprofit global partnership to develop vaccines, also has been crucial.
While no one knows who will cross the finish line with a vaccine first, several companies and groups are off to strong starts, particularly those already working on SARS and MERS vaccines. Here are some of the noteworthy efforts:
❚ Moderna: This Boston-based company already was working on RNA therapies and vaccines. It began working with the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Disease in February to create an experimental SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. It began testing its first candidate on humans Monday. A group of four people was given the vaccine and researchers will first study its safety. If after several weeks it appears to be safe, a round of tests will begin to see whether it stimulates their immune system to make antibodies against the virus. It was one of three groups that got funding for the effort Jan. 23 from the CEPI.
❚ Inovio: This Pennsylvania-based biotech company also received one of the early CEPI grants. Inovio, was working on a DNA-based vaccine against MERS. The company president said it designed a COVID-19 vaccine candidate in three hours after the genetic sequence was published by the Chinese. The company plans to begin human trials in April.
❚ CureVac: This German-based company was in the news last week after reports surfaced President Donald Trump suggested the U.S. might buy access to its vaccines only for Americans. CureVac, which was mainly working on anti-cancer vaccines, uses messenger RNA to make vaccines. It signed a development agreement with CEPI on Jan. 31 to work on SARS-CoV-2. The company hopes to have a possible vaccine ready to test within several months.
❚ Novavax: Maryland-based Novavax was working on vaccines against SARS and MERS. On March 10 it announced a $4 million award from CEPI to work on a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. It hopes to begin testing in late spring.
❚ EU Horizon 2020 consortium: A large consortium of European research universities and biotech companies is working on a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2. The effort received nearly $3 million in European funding on March 9 and includes German, Dutch and Danish universities and biotech companies.
❚ GlaxoSmithKline: This United Kingdom-based company is one of the world’s largest vaccine producers. It has signed an agreement with CEPI to bring GSK’s adjuvant system into the SARS-CoV-2 mix. Adjuvants can be added to vaccines to boost the immune response they produce. This could decrease the amount of vaccine (once one becomes available) needed per dose, allowing more doses to be produced more quickly.