Pakistan to begin Phase-III clinical trials of experimental covid-19 vaccine

Phase-III of clinical trial of a COVID-19 has been approved by Pakistan’s drug auditor in collaboration with a Chinese company, a media report said.

National Institute of Health (NIH) stated that, it has obtained formal approval from the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) for phase-III Clinical trail of Recombinant Novel Coronavirus Vaccine Adenovirus Type 5 vector (Ad5-nCoV) developed by CanSinoBio and Beijing Institute of Biotechnology China (BIB).

The NIH said this would be the first-ever phase-III clinical trial for any vaccine in Pakistan.
“It is a multi-country multi-centre clinical trial which CanSinoBio is already conducting in China, Russia, Chile and Argentina and will shortly start in Saudi Arabia. The principal investigator of the multi-centre clinical trial in Pakistan is NIH executive director Maj Gen Aamer Ikram,” the statement said

“AJM Pharma CEO Adnan Hussain signed an agreement with the NIH last month for collaborating on the phase-III clinical trial of CanSinoBIO Ad5-nCoV in Pakistan,” it said

According to a document signed by DRAP Clinical Studies Committee secretary Shafqat Hussain Danish, the committee recommended that the trial be held in Indus Hospital in Karachi.

“Though vaccines are being prepared in different countries, we cannot surely say whether we will get them as there will be high demand for the vaccines across the globe. If this trial is successful, the vaccine will be easily available to us at affordable rates,” the official said.

Pakistan’s coronavirus cases has crossed 292,000 mark so far. While 274,000 people have recovered, more than 6,220 casualties have been reported in the country.

Minister for Planning Asad Umar, who also heads the National Coordination and Operation Centre on COVID-19, said he was hopeful that the trials on the vaccine would be successful.