Following the US, China Also Begins COVID-19 Human Clinical Trials

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Following the United States, China has also begun clinical trials for the development of a novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine.

On the 21st, China Science and Technology Daily, citing the China Clinical Trial Registration Center, reported that the Institute of Biotechnology at the Academy of Military Medical Sciences and Kangxinuo Biotech Co., Ltd. have started clinical trials for the COVID-19 vaccine.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

The clinical trial subjects are residents aged 18 to 60 from Wuhan, Hubei Province, where COVID-19 first spread. A total of 108 participants were divided into three groups according to the vaccine dosage.

The research team will observe the participants in a quarantine facility for 14 days after vaccination. Subsequently, they plan to conduct regular follow-up tests within six months to check for antibody formation and other factors.

Wang Junzhi, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, recently stated at a press conference, "Using five technologies, China's vaccine development is progressing smoothly," adding, "Nine confirmed development projects have mostly completed animal studies."

Earlier, on the 16th, the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), under the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and pharmaceutical company Moderna Therapeutics began clinical trials for a COVID-19 vaccine at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Atlanta. Although vaccine development is advancing rapidly in the U.S., it is expected to take about one to one and a half years before the general public can be vaccinated due to multiple stages of clinical trial procedures.

On the other hand, Zhong Nanshan, the top authority on infectious diseases in China and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, has predicted that a vaccine suitable for human use will be developed by September.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.