On Monday, Nigerians and the rest of the world were in jubilation after claims that Moscow’s Sechenov University has completed clinical trials of a vaccine for the coronavirus pandemic that has killed 500,000 people globally.
Russia’s Sechenov University Center for Clinical Research on Medications head and chief researcher Elena Smolyarchuk’s study data showed the vaccine candidate’s effectiveness, reported Russian news agency TASS on Monday.
Smolyarchuk was quoted by the news agency as saying: “The research has been completed and it proved that the vaccine is safe while volunteers will be discharged on 15 July and 20 July.”
“An in-ward treatment of the first group of volunteers, who were tested for the safety and tolerability of the vaccine, will end on July 15,” the TASS agency quoted Russian Defence Ministry as saying.
The news from Russia was among the top trending news on Twitter with over 20,700 tweets in less than one-hour raising hope that the end has finally come to the deadly pandemic that has taken a large toll on the global economy.
Need for caution
However, the reports did not specifically mention that it was just the phase one trials that had been completed while Phase two trials is expected to start on Monday, July 13.
Clinical development is a three-phase process. During Phase I, small groups of people receive the trial vaccine. In Phase II, the clinical study is expanded and vaccine is given to people who have characteristics (such as age and physical health) similar to those for whom the new vaccine is intended. In Phase III, the vaccine is given to thousands of people and tested for efficacy and safety.
Need for Stage 2 and Stage 3
According to Sechenov University, on Monday, July 13, the second group of volunteers, who are tested for the efficiency and immunogenicity of the vaccine, will be injected with the second component of the vaccine against the coronavirus.”
“The second round of trials will involve the injecting the vaccine amongst civilian volunteers as well.
“Efficiency and immunogenicity (generation of immune response)” is tested in phase two of trials. It is in this stage that researchers try to see whether the vaccine is triggering the desired immune response in human beings, and what could be the suitable dose to generate this response,” Russia’s Sechenov University clarified.
Large number of volunteers, usually numbering several thousands, are enrolled for the third phase in which researchers try to ascertain whether the immune response is able to fight the virus in real-life situations.
This process can take several months. As of now, even the success of phase II trials is not certain. It will have to be assessed after the completion of the trials.
It is not clear whether the Russian candidate vaccine will go through phase III trials as well.
Two months ago, a potential antiviral drug called remdesivir for the coronavirus reportedly failed in its first randomised clinical trial.
