A COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Institute of Microbiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has been shown to be safe in early-stage trials, suggesting the possibility of further clinical trials, Xinhua reports on its website.
Results from phase I and phase II trials support the safety and immunogenicity of this recombinant subunit vaccine in healthy participants, and no serious adverse events have been found so far, the institute said in a statement last Friday.
Jointly developed by the institute and Chongqing Zhifei Biological Products Company, the vaccine was issued with a clinical research permit from the National Administration of Medical Products on June 19.
Researchers began phase I clinical trials on June 23 to determine if the vaccine is safe for use in humans. Volunteers, aged 18 to 59 from Beijing, Chongqing and Hunan, received the vaccine at hospitals in Chongqing and Beijing. Phase II trials were launched on July 10 to further evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of the vaccine.
According to the institute, the trials were randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled.
The vaccine has been patented. Its developers are preparing for large-scale phase III trials to determine the efficacy of the vaccine.
So far, four Chinese vaccine candidates have entered phase III clinical trials, an official from the Ministry of Science and Technology confirmed at a news conference in October.
