Covid-19 Vaccine Development Tracker

Britain’s Oxford University and AstraZeneca have developed what scientists call a “viral vector” vaccine but a good analogy is the Trojan horse. The shots are made with a harmless cold virus that normally infects chimpanzees and carries the spike protein’s genetic material into the body. The body then produces some spike protein and primes the immune system. The two-dose shot is likely to provide protection for about a year. The vaccine was the first to be authorised for emergency use in India. Called Covishield, it is being manufactured by the Pune-based Serum Institute for India and some African nations. Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla has said that the shot will be sold to the Indian government at Rs 200 and to the public at Rs 1,000. The vaccine data, from trials involving 23,000 volunteers, was published the prestigious medical journal, The Lancet. The study found the vaccine is safe. Severe side effects have been extremely rare. Only one patient who received the jab had a "serious side effect possibly related" to the injection, according to the data in The Lancet. The patient suffered from transverse myelitis, a rare neurological condition that causes inflammation of the the spinal cord. This provoked the temporary global shutdown of trials in early September. One of the vaccines granted conditional approval by the Indian government, it will now be administered to millions in the country.

The small German biotech firm BioNTech, started by a husband and wife team with Turkish roots, had never brought a vaccine to market before. But its experimental technology has now become the first authorised for use in the Western world to help end the coronavirus pandemic. Britain and Bahrain have granted emergency use authorisation to the, while BioNTech's US partner Pfizer has applied for similar approval in India, The vaccine programme relies on messenger RNA, genetic code that slips into human cells to make them generate antibodies that are specifically tailored to the coronavirus. Scientists acclaimed the UK news but cautioned that logistical challenges remained. The Pfizer-BioNTech jab has to be stored at around -70 degrees Celsius (-94 degrees Fahrenheit), requiring specialist freezers.

The Moderna vaccine uses an inert snippet of genetic code from the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus to trigger an immune response in the body that can repel the active virus. Moderna Inc., which has never brought a product into the market, stunned the world last year by coming up with the vaccine against the disease caused by the new coronavirus in just a few weeks. The vaccine has been shown to protect about 95 percent of people against Covid-19 compared to a placebo. Clinical trials involving tens of thousands of people each have also found no serious safety issues.The vaccine can be kept in long term storage at -20 degrees Celsius. The United States, Canada, Israel and the 27-nation European Union have already authorised or rolled out the use of the Moderna vaccine.

The vaccine, called COVAXIN, has been developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of Virology (NIV), and is based on an inactivated form of the coronavirus. India approved the vaccine for emergency use on January 3 but the nod has come under criticism for lack of efficacy data, typically obtained from a large, Phase III human trial -- which the manufacturer is still conducting. The regulatory panel reportedly approved the shot just one day after asking the vaccine maker for more evidence it would work. Early clinical studies showed that the vaccine doesn’t have any serious side effects and produces antibodies for Covid-19. But late clinical trials began in mid-November. The second shot was to be given 28 days after the first, and an immune response prompted two weeks later. That time frame means that it isn't possible that the company submitted data showing that the shots are effective in preventing infection from the virus, say experts. Drugs Controller General of India Dr. Venugopal G Somani has said that "the vaccine has been found to be safe". The health ministry said that permission was granted for Bharat Biotech’s shot for restricted use in the “public interest as an abundant precaution in clinical trial mode, especially in the context of infection by mutant strains.”

US drug developer Novavax makes “protein subunit” vaccines, growing harmless copies of the coronavirus spike protein in the laboratory and packaging them into virus-sized nanoparticles. There are protein-based vaccines against other diseases, so it’s not as novel a technology as some of its competitors. But it only recently finished its first-step study; the US government’s Operation Warp Speed aims for advanced testing later in the fall. On August 4, Novavax announced promising results from two preliminary studies in monkeys and humans.

President Vladimir Putin declared Russia the first country to approve a Covid-19 vaccine and licensed the two-shot jab for domestic use in August, before any data had been published or a large-scale trial had begun. Named "Sputnik" after the pioneering 1950s Soviet satellite, the vaccine sparked concerns among Western scientists and the World Health Organization who warned that moving too quickly on a vaccine without internationally approved testing could be dangerous. The adenovirus vector-based vaccine uses modified viruses of the regular flu. On November 11, its developers said the vaccine is 92% effective according to initial test results. The calculations were based on results from 16,000 individuals who received both doses of the vaccine, Russia's health ministry said in a statement. Some of those vaccinated experienced "pain at the injection site, flu-like syndrome including fever, weakness, fatigue and headache," the statement said.

Indian vaccine-maker Zydus Cadila’s DNA-based shot targets the viral entry membrane protein of the virus. The company launched Phase 2 clinical trials among more than 1,000 health adults on August 6. In a regulatory filing in August, it said the vaccine candidate was found to be safe and wel-tolerated in an early-stage human trial. Zydus Cadila plans to complete late-stage trials by February or March and could produce up to 100 million doses a year.

CoronaVac, formerly called PiCoVacc, has been developed by private Chinese pharmaceutical firm Sinovac Biotech. The vaccine uses an inactivated pathogen, meaning the virus is grown in a lab and then deactivated or killed. It’s one of the so-called “inactivated” vaccine candidates developed in China. The shot has been either approved or distributed in Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates and other Arab nations. Turkey, Brazil and Chile have also signed deals to secure doses. The vaccine showed at least 78% effectiveness in final-stage clinical trials on 13,000 volunteers in Brazil. Sinovac has not yet released worldwide results from the tests, which are also being carried out in Chile and Indonesia. The company has faced criticism for not supplying full data sooner. The efficacy rate reported by Brazil is well below the 95% reported for vaccines from US pharmaceutical firms Pfizer and Moderna. However, CoronaVac is easier to deploy because it does not have to be stored at extremely low temperatures.

The ‘Trojan horse’ vaccine has been jointly developed by Hong Kong-listed CanSino Biologics and the Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, part of the Academy of Military Medical Sciences, a research unit of the Chinese military. In June, the vaccine was approved to immunise the Chinese military ahead of final testing, making it the first approved for people, albeit in a limited population. Phase 3 trials of the vaccine were launched in Pakistan on September 22, and similar late-stage trials will also be conducted in Saudi Arabia and Russia.

The as yet unnamed "inactivated" vaccine is being developed by Sinopharm and the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV). The vaccine consists of virus particles, bacteria, or other pathogens that have been grown in culture and then lose disease-producing capacity. In contrast, live vaccines use pathogens that are still alive. The vaccine showed a "strong neutralising antibody response" in Phase 1 and 2 trials, according to a release from China National Biotec Group. The Phase 3 trial is currently underway in Peru, Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates.

This is the second of Sinopharm’s two inactivated virus vaccines being tested. While the first one is in collaboration with the Wuhan Institute of Biological Products, this one is in partnership with the Beijing Institute of Biological Products. Phase 3 trials are underway in the United Arab Emirates where 5,000 volunteers are receiving the shot.

The Bacillus Calmette-Guerin vaccine was developed in the beginning of the 20th century to treat Tuberculosis. The randomised and controlled BRACE trials by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute aims to see whether the vaccine reduces the severity of the novel coronavirus symptoms. Researchers at the institute hope that improving people's "innate" immunity against Covid-19 symptoms would buy time to develop a specific vaccine against the disease. Similar trials are being conducted in several other countries including the Netherlands, Germany and the United Kingdom.

CureVac is using a new technology based on mRNA, a type of genetic material never before used to make a vaccine. The process entails injecting a short sequence of viral genetic material to trigger an immune response by producing proteins acting against the virus. CureVac already made headlines earlier this year on reports that US President Donald Trump had sought to secure exclusive rights for the US to a potential coronavirus vaccine by the Germany-based biotech company. On August 14, CureVac made a stellar debut on New York-based Nasdaq stock exchange, surging 250% after raising more than $200 million in an initial public offering. The company has tied up with Elon Musk’s Tesla to build portable mRNA printers to help produce quick doses of the vaccine candidate.

While traditional vaccines are based on a weakened or modified form of the virus, the vaccine being developed by the Imperial College London is based on a new approach. It uses synthetic strands of genetic code (called RNA), based on the virus's genetic material. Once injected into muscle, the RNA self-amplifies, generating copies of itself, and instructs the body's own cells to make copies of a spiky protein found on the outside of the virus. Researchers say this should train the immune system against Covid-19. Phase I/II trials commenced on June 15 and a larger Phase III trial would be conducted later this year with around 6,000 healthy volunteers. The Imperial College London has tied up with Morningside Ventures to manufacture the vaccine through a new company called VacEquity Global Health.

Japanese biotechnology company AnGes has developed a DNA-based vaccine in partnership with Osaka University and Takara Bio. DNA vaccines are produced using an inactivated virus and can manufactured faster than protein-based vaccines. A combined Phase I/II trial is underway in Osaka University.

Like Moderna Inc’s Covid-19 vaccine candidate, Arcturus Therapeutics’ vaccine uses mRNA, or messenger RNA, to inoculate against the coronavirus. The current trial, being conducted at the Singapore General Hospital, includes two parts that will assess the vaccine’s dosing, safety and effectiveness in participants, including older adults aged between 56 and 80 years. Arcturus in April said preclinical data showed the vaccine candidate could trigger an immune response to the virus.

Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine candidate, developed through a collaboration with Boston-based Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, uses a common cold virus, called adenovirus serotype 26 (Ad26), to deliver the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein into host cells, where it stimulates the body to raise immune responses against the coronavirus. Johnson & Johnson had developed vaccines against Ebola and other diseases using the same Ad26 virus. The vaccine has provided protection during experiments on monkeys and hamsters. Initial human studies began in late July. The company entered final Phase 3 stage of clinical trials on September 24, but paused them on October 13 after a participant took ill.

Chinese company Anhui Zhifei Longcom’s vaccine is a combination of viral proteins and an adjuvant that stimulates the immune system. The vaccine candidate moved to Phase II trials in July and results of the Phase 1 trial are scheduled to be published by September 20. The company has partnered with the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, and has not yet revealed the trial design of the experimental vaccine.

Called Soberana 01 or Sovereign 01, the vaccine’s clinical trials kicked off in Cuba in August, with results due in February. Developed by Havana’s Finlay Institute, the potential coronovirus vaccine will be delivered in two injections during the trials that will involve 676 people aged between 19 and 80 years and conclude on January 11. The vaccine contains a part of the spike protein, called RBD, along with an adjuvant to boost immune response.

Developed by Siberia's Vector virology institute, EpiVacCorona is Russia’s second potential vaccine after Sputnik V. The vaccine contains small portions of viral proteins, known as peptides. The vaccine elicits an immune response after double administration with the interval of 14-21 days. Russia registered the vaccine on October 15. It will now move onto post-registration trials involving 40,000 volunteers.

The unnamed inactivated Covid-19 vaccine candidate developed by the Institute of Medical Biology at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences entered Phase II clinical trials in June. The institute is known for inventing vaccinations against polio and hepatitis A.

Inovio's vaccine, called INO-4800, is designed to inject DNA into a person so as to set off a specific immune system response against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The medication is injected under the skin with a needle, then activated with a device that resembles a toothbrush, which delivers an electrical impulse for a fraction of a second, allowing the DNA to penetrate the body's cells and carry out its mission. Inovio's medication is the only DNA vaccine that is stable at room temperature for more than a year and does not need refrigeration for transport or storage for several years, its CEO has said. The company announced preliminary but encouraging results in June.

Genexine is testing a DNA vaccine candidate for Covid-19. The company began Phase 1 trials in June and aims to complete it in three months before moving to a multinational Phase 2 trial in the fall.

The mRNA vaccine candidate jointly developed by the Chinese military’s research unit, Suzhou Abogen Biosciences and Walvax Biotechnology was officially approved for clinical trial on June 19. It was the first Covid-19 mRNA vaccine to be approved for clinical trials in China. Earlier studies on monkeys reportedly showed protective effects.

Italian biotechnology company ReiThera, Germany’s Leukocare and Belgium’s Univer cells are partnering on a vaccine based on an adenovirus that infects gorillas. Working in collaboration with the Lazzaro Spallanzani National Institute for Infectious Diseases in Rome, they launched Phase 1 trial at the end of July.

Chinese company Clover Biopharmaceuticals is collaborating with British drugmaker GSK and American company Dynavax to develop a vaccine containing a protein from coronaviruses. The vaccine candidate uses Clover's S-Trimer platform, GSK's AS03 adjuvant, and Dynavax's CpG 1018 adjuvant to stimulate the immune system. CEPI will support the manufacturing that could lead to production of millions of doses a year.

Australia’s Vaxine has developed a monovalent recombinant protein vaccine that combines viral proteins with an adjuvant that stimulates the immune system. Phase I trials were completed in July and Phase II trials are expected to start in September.

Canada-based Medicago, partly funded by cigarette maker Philip Morris, uses a species of tobacco to make vaccines. Medicago’s approach, already used in a flu vaccine awaiting Canadian approval, takes the leaves of a plant as bioreactors to produce one of the three spike proteins of the novel coronavirus, the S-spike, which can be then used in the vaccine with GSK’s adjuvant. In July, Medicago launched Phase 1 trials in combination with adjuvants from drug makers GSK and Dynavax. A single dose of Medicago’s plant-based vaccine candidate in mice yielded a positive antibody response after 10 days, according to a company release. The Phase II/II trial is likely to begin in October.

Researchers at the University of Queensland have developed a molecular clamp vaccine candidate for Covid-19. The vaccine delivers viral proteins altered to trigger a stronger immune response. It helps the body better recognise the protein on the virus surface. The candidate has generated a neutralising immune response, according to a press release from the university. Phase 1 trials commenced in July in which proteins were combined with an adjuvant made by CSL. If Phase I results are encouraging, CSL will advance late stage clinical trials by end of 2020. The vaccine may be available by the end of 2021, according to a joint press release.

Another tobacco-based vaccine being developed by Kentucky BioProcessing, an American subsidiary of the British American Tobacco. Like Medicago’s vaccine, Kentucky BioProcessing’s candidate engineers a species of tobacco called Nicotiana benthamiana to make viral proteins. The company had earlier used the technique to make an Ebola drug. Phase 1 trial was registered in July.

The Taiwan-based vaccine maker is developing a vaccine made with a combination of spike proteins and an adjuvant from Dynavax. Phase I trial is set to start in September.

Researchers at West China Hospital of Sichuan University announced a vaccine in July made from the RBD region of the spike protein that could protect mice and monkeys. They got approval to run a Phase I trial on August 24.

French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi said on September 3 that it would start human trials of the potential coronavirus vaccine it is developing with British peer GSK, following promising preliminary tests. The vaccine combines leading technology from both Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline. A protein-based vaccine owned by Sanofi and used to treat influenza was paired with a GSK-developed add-on, known as an adjuvant, that boosts the recipient's immune response. The firms hope to receive regulatory clearance in the first half of 2021 and take production capacity to a billion doses for distribution throughout the year. Both say they are committed to making the vaccine available globally.

American company Merck bought Austrian vaccine maker Themis Bioscience in June to gain its vaccine project that relies on a measles vector. The vaccine was originally developed at Institut Pasteur. Researchers launched a Phase I trial in August.

Kazakhstan researchers have developed a vaccine made from inactivated coronaviruses. On August 28, the Research Institute for Biological Safety Problems registered a Phase I trial of the vaccine named QazCovid.

French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi is developing an mRNA vaccine with US start-up Translate Bio. The companies have been working together since 2018, hoping to leverage Translate Bio's work on new messenger RNA (mRNA) drugs that cause cells to create a specific protein for treating a range of diseases. On June 23, they announced they were planning Phase I trials in the fall.

Swiss company Novartis re-entered vaccine making in May, announcing a shot based on gene therapy treatment developed by the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital and the Gene Therapy Program at the University of Pennsylvania. The US researchers aim to insert genetic material that makes up the new coronavirus’s “spikes” into a so-called adeno-associated virus (AAV), before injecting it into humans to provoke an immune response against Covid-19. Phase I trials are scheduled to begin in late 2020.

US vaccine developer Vaxart’s oral tablet contains an adenovirus that delivers coronavirus genes. Phase 1 trials are yet to begin.

US biotech firm Codagenix Inc’s potential Covid-19 vaccine is expected to begin early-stage human trial by the end of 2020 in the UK. The Pune-based Serum Institute of India will develop Codagenix's CDX-005, which is delivered intranasally rather than via an injection.

Australian biotech company Ena Respiratory’s INNA-051 is not a vaccine but a nasal spray which is being developed to improve the human immune system to fight common cold and flu. On September 29, the company said the spray reduced the growth of the coronavirus in a study on ferrets by 96%, which means it can potentially be used complementary to vaccines. Ena Respiratory said it would be ready to test INNA-051 in human trials in by January-end.

US pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly’s antibody drug, LY-CoV555, began its ACTIV-3 trial in August. The trial compares patients who receive its antibody drug plus Gilead Sciences Inc's antiviral drug remdesivir with those who receive remdesivir alone. US President Donald Trump had touted the Lilly drug, along with the antibody treatment from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc that he received for his Covid-19, as tantamount to a cure. But Eli Lilly and Co paused its late-stage trials on October 14 over safety concerns. Before the pause, the pharma firm was gearing up to apply for emergency use authorization for patients with mild to moderate Covid-19.