Phase 3 trials of Covid vaccine to begin in Karachi’s Indus Hospital next week

Chinese vaccine will be administered to people aged 18 to 50, says spokesperson of private hospital

KARACHI:

The phase 3 trial of Chinese vaccine for Covid-19 will be held in Karachi’s Indus Hospital from next week, a spokesperson of the private medical facility said on Thursday.

The vaccine, developed by CanSino Biologics and Beijing Institute of Biotechnology China, had been approved for phase 3 clinical trials last month.

A spokesperson of the Indus Hospital told The Express Tribune that human trials would begin this month and all preparations in this regard have been completed.

He said that the vaccine will be administered to people aged 18 to 50, while those above 50 years of age will not be eligible to participate in the clinical trial.

The process of selecting the volunteers for vaccine trials have been initiated, he added.

Drug expert Dr Obaid Ali has appreciated the move, saying experimental use of coronavirus vaccine is a very complex process.

“The side effects of vaccine may occur. However, appropriate time will be required to know the effectiveness of the vaccine,” he said, adding that people who will be given an experimental drug will have to be monitored.

It appeared as if around 40 to 50 per cent of Pakistani population is now immune to the virus, Dr Obaid remarked. “Pakistan may not need the vaccine like other countries and only those who have not been affected so far may require to take it,” he added.

Last month, The Ministry of National Health Services Regulation and Coordination had received formal approval from the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) for Phase III clinical trials of the coronavirus vaccine.

According to a statement from the NIH, the medical facility has obtained "the formal approval from DRAP for Phase III Clinical Trial of Recombinant Novel Coronavirus Vaccine Adenovirus Type 5 vector (Ad5-nCoV) developed by CanSinoBio and Beijing Institute of Biotechnology China [BIB]".

Pakistan's inclusion in the large-scale testing on humans would help it secure "preferential vaccine supply and pricing,” it added.

The trial will be conducted at several medical facilities across Pakistan in phases.