IVI leads Sanofi, GSK COVID-19 vaccine trial in Nepal

Global pharma majors Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) have received approval for their Phase III clinical study in Nepal to assess the safety, efficacy and immunogenicity of their adjuvanted recombinantprotein COVID-19 vaccine candidate. South Korea-based International Vaccine Institute (IVI) will conduct the Phase III clinical trial in Nepal, expecting to enrol 4,000 volunteers across three study sites in the country. In addition to generating local data to support the global clinical trial, this Phase III study led by IVI will continue to build capacity and infrastructure for vaccine research and development in Nepal. As COVID-19 vaccination becomes available, study participants are encouraged to receive an approved COVID-19 vaccine during the study, if they wish to do so. As part of the study design, all participants including the control group will be offered the study vaccine as soon as it is determined to be safe and effective.