THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
July 1, 2020 at 17:20 JST
COVID-19 vaccine candidates developed by AnGes Inc. with Osaka University and other researchers (Provided by Osaka University)
Japan's first clinical trial of a COVID-19 vaccine is under way at Osaka City University Hospital in Osaka to verify its safety and effectiveness.
AnGes Inc., a biopharmaceutical startup affiliated with Osaka University, on June 30 announced the start of the trial of a new type of vaccine using the genetic code of the novel coronavirus, which it developed with the university and other researchers.
The “DNA vaccine” trial will be conducted on 30 or so healthy adults ranging in age from 20 to 65 who have not been infected with the novel coronavirus.
Test subjects will be divided into two groups, and given different doses of the vaccine, administered as an intramuscular injection. The trial is expected to last until the end of July 2021.
The genetic information of the coronavirus will be injected into the body of trial participants to simulate a reaction by their immune systems.
A team of researchers will observe whether the patients develop antibodies that disable the proteins of the virus and if the antibodies will last.
The vaccine only uses genetic information of the virus. Researchers believe it can be developed in a shorter period than existing vaccines, which are produced by increasing the virus itself.
However, no DNA vaccine has yet been approved for use on humans.
Much time is required to statistically confirm the safety and efficacy of a vaccine before it is ready for general use, according to experts.
(This article was written by Shigeko Segawa and Chinami Tajika.)
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