Vietnamese home-grown coronavirus vaccine COVIVAC

The clinical trials of Nano Covax and Covivac have proved to yield initial positive results, Deputy Director of the Health Ministry’s Department of Science Technology and Training Nguyen Ngo Quang said at a meeting Monday of the Standing Board of the Steering Committee for International Cooperation in Clinical Trials of COVID-19 Vaccines. 

Quang said Nano Covax produced by Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology JSC has entered the second phase of human testing. All volunteers who got the jabs have generated a host of antibodies that can protect the recipients from several newly mutated strains of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, including the B.1.1.7 variant from the United Kingdom.

Scientists are expected to carry out the third and final phase of the Nano Covax trial in May and complete it in the third quarter of this year.

Meanwhile, the first phase of the clinical trial of Covivac developed by the Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals (IVAC), is underway. Covivac is said to protect the recipients from variants from the UK and South Africa which are 70% more transmissible during the latest coronavirus outbreak globally.

In addition, the Company for Vaccine and Biological Production No1 (VABIOTECH) is set to begin the first phase of its vaccine in April 2021, said Quang.

Quang said Vietnam is currently researching three types of COVID-19 vaccine. Pre-clinical trials of all three vaccines have been good, thanks to close coordination with other vaccine researchers around the world and compliance with international standards and procedures.