Covid Vaccine: Why did the need arise?
In December 2019, reports flocked out of central city in Wuhan, China that a new coronavirus is causing a cluster of pneumonia cases in the city. On March 11, 2020, WHO declared the coronavirus as a pandemic and since then things have changed drastically. The deadly virus has affected more than 188 countries around the globe and has taken a toll over human lives.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) has affected more than 11 million (as of 3 July, 2020) people around the world. According to the Worldometer data, more than 6 million have recovered, yet 524,581 have succumbed to the virus. Hence, researchers are pushing forward with their efforts to develop the treatments and vaccines to slow down the pandemic and lessen the disease’s impact, as soon as possible.
As the countries go into lockdown, various industries have been facing plethora of challenges to continue serving customers and ensuring profits. The COVID-19 pandemic is much more than a health crisis and is affecting livelihoods and economies at their core. While the impact of the pandemic varies from country to country, it has increase unemployment, poverty and inequalities at a global scale. The global economies are decreasing day by day and therefore, there is a need to scale up the research, so that we can get an answer to this unprecedented situation as soon as possible.
Top Affected Countries
Country | Total Cases | Deaths |
United States | 2,837,237 | 131,485 |
Brazil | 1,501,353 | 61,990 |
Russia | 667,883 | 9,859 |
India | 628,205 | 18,241 |
The search for COVID- 19 vaccine began in January 2020 with the deciphering of the SARS-CoV-2 genome. The first vaccine human safety trials were started in March 2020, but the road ahead remains uncertain.
There are currently more than 140 projects around the world focused on the development of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Figure 1: Number of Covid vaccines under development in different phases
Types of Covid Vaccine Developed till Date
Figure 2: Types of Covid vaccine under development
Candidate | Developer | Stage |
ChAdOx1-S | University of Oxford/AstraZeneca | Phase 3 |
Adenovirus Type 5 Vector | Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, CanSino Biological | Phase 2 |
LNP- encapsulated mRNA | Moderna/NIAID | Phase 2 |
Inactivated | Wuhan Institute of Biological Products/Sinopharm | Phase 1/2 |
Inactivated | Beijing Institute of Biological Products/Sinopharm | Phase 1/2 |
Inactivated + alum | Sinovac | Phase 1/2 |
Full length recombinant SARS CoV-2 glycoprotein nanoparticle vaccine adjuvanted with Matrix M | Novavax | Phase 1/2 |
3 LNP-mRNAs | BioNTech, Fosun Pharma, Pfizer | Phase 1/2 |
Inactivated | Institute of Medical Biology , Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences | Phase 1 |
DNA plasmid vaccine with electroporation | Inovio Pharmaceuticals | Phase 1 |
DNA Vaccine (GX-19) | Genexine Consortium | Phase 1 |
Adeno-based | Gamaleya Research Institute | Phase 1 |
Native like Trimeric subunit Spike Protein vaccine | Clover Biopharmaceuticals Inc./GSK/Dynavax | Phase 1 |
Adjuvanted recombinant protein | Anhui Zhifei Longcom Biopharmaceutical, Institute of Microbiology & Chinese Academy of Sciences | Phase 1 |
LNP-nCoVsaRNA vaccine | Imperial College London | Phase 1 |
mRNA | Curevac | Phase 1 |
mRNA | People’s Liberation Army, Academy of Military Sciences, Walvax Biotech. | Phase 1 |
Recombinant spike protein with Advax™ adjuvant
| Medytox / Vaxine Pty Ltd
| Phase 1
|
Table 1: Covid 19 vaccine under clinical development stage
Latest Development in Covid Vaccine
1. DCGI gives approval for India’s first Covid-19 vaccine candidate for human clinical trials
- A prominent vaccine manufacturer Bharat Biotech, in collaboration with the National Institute of Virology (NIV), has been given permission by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) to commence the Phase I&II human clinical trials for India’s first indigenous vaccine candidate against COVID-19 ‘Covaxin’.
- The vaccine was developed and manufactured at the company’s BSL -III high containment facility at Genome Valley in Hyderabad.
- The human clinical trials will initiate across India in July, 2020. Results expected to be out by October 2020, following which further clinical trials will be conducted.
2. Biontech and Pfizer’s Coronavirus vaccines has shown potential in human trials
- Pfizer and BioNTech have announced positive preliminary results from the ongoing BNT162b1’s Phase I/II clinical trials, a potential COVID-19 vaccine.
- It is the most advanced among the four COVID-19 vaccine candidates being evaluated as part of ‘Pfizer and BioNTech’s BNT162 mRNA-based vaccine programme’.
- They revealed that the preliminary data demonstrated that BNT162b1 could be administered in a well-tolerated dose and it also generated dose-dependent immunogenicity,”
- These results, along with additional data i.e. preclinical and clinical data, is expected to aid in establishing a dose level and select among various other vaccine candidates to proceed to a larger, global Phase IIb/III trial planned for the coming month.
3. Oxford University- AstraZeneca vaccine leading the race
- The vaccine candidate, developed by Oxford University- AstraZeneca, has emerged as a frontrunner in the COVID-19 vaccine race.
- It has already started conducting phase III clinical trials of its AZD1222 vaccine candidate.
- The developers have signed a deal with Brazil at $127 million to locally produce the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in the country.
4. Inovio Pharmaceuticals Corona Virus vaccine status
- Inovio Pharmaceuticals, a US based company, part of the Operation Warp Speed program, recently announced that their experimental Covid-19 vaccine had shown significant results in preliminary clinical trials.
- The firm revealed that INO-4800, a DNA vaccine, triggered an immune response in 94% volunteers who successfully completed the phase 1 clinical trial.
- It now plans to start a combined Phase 2/3 trial to assess the vaccine’s efficacy.
5. Cansino Biologics Corona virus approved for limited use
- The vaccine candidate, developed by Cansino Biologics, has been approved for China’s military use after human trials proved it was safe and somewhat efficient.
- An approval to use the vaccine for the military purpose was given by Central Military Commission of China, on June 25 for an year period.
- The Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials revealed that the candidate had the potential to prevent disease caused by coronavirus.
6. Moderna Corona virus vaccine
- Moderna, an American biotech company, which has recently begun its phase II trials for their vaccine candidate, mRNA-1273, has collaborated with Catalent Inc to manufacture 100 million doses of the vaccine. The process will commence in the third quarter of 2020.
- Final stage clinical trials of the Moderna vaccine are all set to start in July, with tests \ to be conducted on 30,000 people.
Covid Vaccine Tracker
Platform | Type of Candidate vaccine | Developer |
DNA | DNA plasmid vaccine S,S1,S2,RBD &N | National Research Centre, Egypt |
DNA | DNA with electroporation | Karolinska Institute / Cobra Biologics (OPENCORONA Project) |
DNA | DNA with electroporation | Chula Vaccine Research Center |
DNA | DNA plasmid vaccine | Osaka University/ AnGes/ Takara Bio |
DNA | DNA | Takis/Applied DNA Sciences/Evvivax |
DNA | Plasmid DNA, Needle- Free Delivery | Immunomic Therapeutics, Inc./EpiVax, Inc./PharmaJet |
DNA | DNA plasmid vaccine | Zydus Cadila |
DNA | DNA vaccine | BioNet Asia |
DNA | DNA vaccine | University of Waterloo |
DNA | DNA vaccine | Entos Pharmaceuticals |
DNA | bacTRL-Spike | Symvivo |
Inactivated | Inactivated whole virus | National Research Centre, Egypt |
Inactivated | Inactivated | Beijing Minhai Biotechnology Co., Ltd. |
Inactivated | TBD | Osaka University/ BIKEN/ NIBIOHN |
Inactivated | Inactivated + CpG 1018 | Sinovac/Dynavax |
Inactivated | Inactivated + CpG 1018 | Valneva/Dynavax |
Inactivated | Inactivated | Research Institute for Biological Safety Problems, Rep of Kazakhstan |
Live Attenuated Virus | Codon deoptimized live attenuated vaccines | Codagenix/Serum Institute of India |
Live Attenuated Virus | Codon deoptimized live attenuated vaccines | Indian Immunologicals Ltd/Griffith University |
Non- Replicating Viral Vector | Adeno-associated virus vector (AAVCOVID) | Massachusetts Eye and Ear/Massachusetts General Hospital/AveXis |
Non- Replicating Viral Vector | MVA encoded VLP | GeoVax/BravoVax |
Non- Replicating Viral Vector | Ad26 | Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies |
Non- Replicating Viral Vector | Simian Adenovirus (GRAd) i.e. replication defective encoding SARS-CoV-2 S | ReiThera/LEUKOCARE/Univercells |
Non- replicating viral vector | MVA-S encoded | DZIF – German Center for Infection Research/IDT Biologika GmbH |
Non- replicating viral vector | MVA-S | IDIBAPS-Hospital Clinic, Spain |
Non- Replicating Viral Vector | NasoVAX adenovirus-based expressing SARS2-CoV spike protein | Altimmune |
Non- Replicating Viral Vector | [E1-, E2b-, E3-] hAd5- COVID19- Spike/Nucleocapsid | ImmunityBio, Inc. & NantKwest, Inc. |
Non- Replicating Viral Vector | Ad5 S (GREVAX™ platform) | Greffex |
Non- Replicating Viral Vector | Oral Ad5 S | Stabilitech Biopharma Ltd |
Non- Replicating Viral Vector | adenovirus-based + HLA-matched peptides | Valo Therapeutics Ltd |
Non- Replicating Viral Vector | Oral Vaccine platform | Vaxart |
Non- Replicating Viral Vector | MVA expressing structural proteins | Centro Nacional Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Spain |
Non- Replicating Viral Vector | Dendritic cell-based vaccine | University of Manitoba |
Non- Replicating Viral Vector | parainfluenza virus 5 (PIV5)-based vaccine expressing the spike protein | University of Georgia/University of Iowa |
Non- Replicating Viral Vector | Recombinant deactivated rabies virus containing S1 | Bharat Biotech/Thomas Jefferson University |
Non- Replicating Viral Vector | Influenza A H1N1 vector | National Research Centre, Egypt |
Non- Replicating Viral Vector | Inactivated Flu-based SARS-CoV2 vaccine + Adjuvant | National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC) /GPO, Thailand |
Protein Subunit | Subunit | Ogbomoso & Trinity Immonoefficient Laboratory, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria, Helix Biogen Consult, |
Protein Subunit | Protein Subunit S,N,M&S1 protein | National Research Centre, Egypt |
Protein Subunit | Protein Subunit | University of San Martin and CONICET, Argentina |
Protein Subunit | RBD protein fused with Fc of IgG + Adj. | Chulalongkorn University/GPO, Thailand |
Protein Subunit | Capsid-like Particle | AdaptVac (PREVENT-nCoV consortium) |
Protein Subunit | Drosophila S2 insect cell expression system VLPs | ExpreS2ion |
Protein Subunit | Peptide antigens formulated in LNP | IMV Inc |
Protein Subunit | S protein | WRAIR/USAMRIID |
Protein Subunit | S protein +Adjuvant | National Institute of Infectious Disease, Japan |
Protein Subunit | VLP-recombinant protein + Adjuvant | Osaka University/ BIKEN/ National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Japan |
Protein Subunit | microneedle arrays S1 subunit | Univ. of Pittsburgh |
Protein Subunit | Peptide | Vaxil Bio |
Protein Subunit | Adjuvanted protein subunit (RBD) | Biological E Ltd |
Protein Subunit | Peptide | Flow Pharma Inc |
Protein Subunit | S protein | AJ Vaccines |
Protein Subunit | Ii-Key peptide | Generex/EpiVax |
Protein Subunit | S protein | EpiVax/Univ. of Georgia |
Protein Subunit | Protein Subunit EPV- CoV-19 | EpiVax |
Protein Subunit | S protein (baculovirus production) | Sanofi Pasteur/GSK |
Protein Subunit | gp-96 backbone | Heat Biologics/Univ. Of Miami |
Protein Subunit | Molecular clamp stabilized Spike protein | University of Queensland/GSK/Dynavax |
Protein Subunit | Peptide vaccine | FBRI SRC VB VECTOR, Rospotrebnadzor, Koltsovo |
Protein Subunit | Subunit vaccine | FBRI SRC VB VECTOR, Rospotrebnadzor, Koltsovo |
Protein Subunit | S1 or RBD protein | Baylor College of Medicine |
Protein Subunit | Subunit protein, plant produced | iBio/CC-Pharming |
Protein Subunit | Recombinant protein, nanoparticles (based on S-protein and other epitopes) | Saint-Petersburg scientific research institute of vaccines and serums |
Protein Subunit | COVID-19 XWG-03 truncated S (spike) proteins | Innovax/Xiamen Univ./GSK |
Protein Subunit | Adjuvanted microsphere peptide | VIDO-InterVac, University of Saskatchewan |
Protein Subunit | Synthetic Long Peptide Vaccine candidate for S and M proteins | OncoGen |
Protein Subunit | Oral E. coli-based protein expression system of S and N proteins | MIGAL Galilee Research Institute |
Protein Subunit | Nanoparticle vaccine | LakePharma, Inc. |
Protein Subunit | Plant-based subunit (RBD-Fc + Adjuvant) | Baiya Phytopharm/ Chula Vaccine Research Center |
Protein Subunit | OMV-based vaccine | Quadram Institute Biosciences |
Protein Subunit | OMV-based vaccine | BiOMViS Srl/Univ. of Trento |
Protein subunit | structurally modified spherical particles of the tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) | Lomonosov Moscow State University |
Protein Subunit | Spike-based | University of Alberta |
Protein Subunit | Recombinant S1-Fc fusion protein | AnyGo Technology |
Protein Subunit | Recombinant protein | Yisheng Biopharma |
Protein Subunit | Recombinant S protein in IC-BEVS | Vabiotech |
Protein Subunit | Orally delivered, heat stable subunit | Applied Biotechnology Institute, Inc. |
Protein Subunit | S-2P protein + CpG 1018 | Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corporation/NIAID/Dynavax |
Protein Subunit | Peptides derived from Spike protein | Axon Neuroscience SE |
Protein Subunit | Protein Subunit | MOGAM Institute for Biomedical Research, GC Pharma |
Protein Subunit | RBD-based | Neovii/Tel Aviv University |
Protein Subunit | RBD-based | Kentucky Bioprocessing, Inc |
Protein Subunit | Outer Membrane Vesicle (OMV)- subunit | Intravacc/Epivax |
Protein Subunit | Outer Membrane Vesicle(OMV)-peptide | Intravacc/Epivax |
Protein Subunit | Spike-based (epitope screening) | ImmunoPrecise/LiteVax BV |
Replicating Viral Vector | YF17D Vector | KU Leuven |
Replicating Viral Vector | Measles Vector | Zydus Cadila |
Replicating Viral Vector | Measles Vector | Institute Pasteur/Themis/Univ. of Pittsburg Center for Vaccine Research/Merck |
Replicating Viral Vector | Measles Vector | FBRI SRC VB VECTOR, Rospotrebnadzor, Koltsovo |
Replicating Viral Vector | Measles Virus (S, N targets) | DZIF – German Center for Infection Research/CanVirex AG |
Replicating Viral Vector | Horsepox vector expressing S protein | Tonix Pharma/Southern Research |
Replicating Viral Vector | Live viral vectored vaccine based on attenuated influenza virus backbone (intranasal) | BiOCAD and IEM |
Replicating Viral Vector | Recombinant vaccine based on Influenza A virus, for the prevention of COVID- 19 (intranasal) | FBRI SRC VB VECTOR, Rospotrebnadzor, Koltsovo |
Replicating Viral Vector | Attenuated Influenza expressing an antigenic portion of the Spike protein | Fundação Oswaldo Cruz and Instituto Buntantan |
Replicating Viral Vector | Influenza vector expressing RBD | University of Hong Kong |
Replicating Viral Vector | Replication- competent VSV chimeric virus technology (VSVΔG) delivering the SARS- CoV-2 Spike (S) glycoprotein. | IAVI/Merck |
Replicating Viral Vector | VSV-S | University of Western Ontario |
Replicating Viral Vector | VSV vector | FBRI SRC VB VECTOR, Rospotrebnadzor, Koltsovo |
Replicating Viral Vector | VSV-S | Israel Institute for Biological Research/Weizmann Institute of Science |
Replicating Viral Vector | M2-deficient single replication (M2SR) influenza vector | UW–Madison/FluGen/Bharat Biotech |
Replicating Viral Vector | Newcastle disease virus vector (NDV- SARS-CoV-2/Spike) | Intravacc/ Wageningen Bioveterinary Research/Utrecht Univ. |
Replicating Viral Vector | Avian paramyxovirus vector (APMV) | The Lancaster University, UK |
RNA | LNP-mRNA | Translate Bio/Sanofi Pasteur |
RNA | LNP-mRNA | CanSino Biologics/Precision NanoSystems |
RNA | LNP-encapsulated mRNA cocktail encoding VLP | Shanghai JiaoTong University/RNACure Biopharma / Fudan University |
RNA | LNP-encapsulated mRNA encoding RBD | Shanghai JiaoTong University/RNACure Biopharma/ Fudan University |
RNA | Replicating Defective SARS-CoV-2 derived RNAs | Centro Nacional Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Spain |
RNA | LNP-encapsulated mRNA | University of Tokyo/ Daiichi-Sankyo |
RNA | Liposome- encapsulated mRNA | BIOCAD |
RNA | Several mRNA candidates | RNAimmune, Inc. |
RNA | mRNA | FBRI SRC VB VECTOR, Rospotrebnadzor, Koltsovo |
RNA | mRNA | China CDC/Tongji University/Stermina |
RNA | mRNA | Arcturus/Duke-NUS |
RNA | LNP-mRNA | Chula Vaccine Research Center/University of Pennsylvania |
RNA | mRNA in an intranasal delivery system | eTheRNA |
RNA | mRNA | Greenlight Biosciences |
RNA | mRNA | IDIBAPS-Hospital Clinic, Spain |
VLP | Enveloped Virus-Like Particle (eVLP) | VBI Vaccines Inc. |
VLP | S protein integrated in HIV VLPs | IRTA- CReSA/Barcelona Supercomputing Centre/Grifols/ IrsiCaixa AIDS Research |
VLP | VLP + Adjuvant | Mahidol University/ The Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO)/Siriraj Hospital |
VLP | Virus-like particles, lentivirus and baculovirus vehicles | Navarrabiomed, Oncoimmunology group |
VLP | Virus-like particle, based on RBD | Saiba GmbH |
displayed on virus-like particles | ||
VLP | Plant-derived VLP | Medicago Inc./ Université Laval |
VLP | ADDomerTM multiepitope display | Imophoron Ltd and Bristol University’s Max Planck Centre |
VLP | Unknown | Doherty Institute |
VLP | VLP | OSIVAX |
VLP | eVLP | ARTES Biotechnology |
VLP | VLPs peptides/whole virus | Univ. of Sao Paulo |
Unknown | Unknown | Tulane University |
Table 2: Vaccines under pre-clinical development
Conclusion
- We all are aware that the COVID-19pandemic has caused a huge amount of financial and social burden.
- The vaccine research have accelerated, but most of it Is still in infancy and will require a lot more time and funds to translate into approved treatment of SARS Cov 2 virus.
- However, there is still a hope and a vision to fight against this pandemic as soon as possible. And, in fact, across the world countries have united to fight this challenge as soon as possible.
- As a citizen, our obligation is to abide to all official advisories, wear masks, practice social distancing and not believe in myths.
References
- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/how-soon-can-we-have-a-covid-19-vaccine/articleshow/76419181.cms
- https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/science/coronavirus-vaccine-tracker.html
- https://www.raps.org/news-and-articles/news-articles/2020/3/covid-19-vaccine-tracker
- https://www.businesstoday.in/latest/trends/coronavirus-vaccine-update-indias-first-vaccine-candidate-covaxin-to-begin-human-trials-in-july/story/408468.html
- https://www.clinicaltrialsarena.com/news/pfizer-biontech-vaccine-data/
- https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/science/pfizer-biontech-experimental-covid-19-vaccine-shows-promise-in-early-trial-study/article31969232.ece
- https://indianexpress.com/article/coronavirus/coronavirus-covid-19-vaccine-latest-updates-oxford-astrazeneca-inovio-pfizer-bharat-biotech-6486286/
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- https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2020/jul/02/coronavirus-vaccine-tracker-how-close-are-we-to-a-vaccine