UK team begins Covid-19 vaccine trials

 A University of Oxford team led by Sarah Gilbert, a professor of vaccinology, has begun trials of a possible vaccine and aims to get effective results as soon as September. Manufacturing is already underway.

Some experts have called for attention, seeing that most vaccines go through years of tests before they hit the market and that 12 to 18 months would be speedy. The coronavirus shots moving most quickly are made with new technologies that have never proven useful in humans.

Hatchett said he doesn’t want to overpromise, but several vaccines backed by CEPI may enter the second phase of testing as soon as late spring or this summer. That means the first could become available in 2020 if they prove to be safe and effective, probably on an emergency-use basis. In that scenario, they might be accessible only to specific at-risk populations before being deployed more widely.

Developers are mindful of examples in the past where rapid vaccine development “unfortunately led to bad outcomes,” he said. “We take it with the utmost seriousness. We cannot cut corners. We must ensure safety and efficacy.”

With trial vaccines progressing, governments and health groups are turning to the challenge of producing enough doses to meet global demand and ensuring that shots are distributed equitably. The coalition wants to set up manufacturing in every region of the world and has been talking with other groups, including Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which helps developing countries finance and distribute vaccines.

“Given the economic interruption that is caused by the pandemic and the global interconnectedness of the economy, if we don’t approach the pandemic everywhere, we will still be at risk,” Hatchett said.

The head of Sanofi, Paul Hudson, asked questions last week about Europe’s ability to manufacture enough doses and said the US might be in a position to vaccinate first, thanks to the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, a government agency that backs vaccine development.

Erna Solberg, Norway’s prime minister, said on the call with CEPI’s head that, “We should have a global view and make sure we don’t end up limiting the access because it’s produced in certain countries.”

CEPI has ensured commitments for about half of the $2 billion it expects will be needed to produce the vaccines, and it may spend in 15 or more programs, Hatchett said.

The coalition is partnering with companies including Moderna and Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc., along with institutions such as Oxford and the University of Queensland in Australia.