A COVID-19 vaccine candidate manufactured by China National Biotec Group (CNBG) has successfully triggered antibodies during Phase-II human trials.
Clinical testing for the vaccine developed at the Wuhan Institute of Biological Products, CNBG’s subsidiary, had started in Henan province in April. The trials were randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled.
During the Phase-II trials, a total of 1,120 volunteers aged between 18 and 59 years were injected with low, medium, and high doses of the vaccine. They were injected with a second shot two to four weeks later to determine the immune response and safety of the vaccine.
According to the official statement issued by CNBG, the COVID-19 vaccine produced high quantities of neutralizing antibodies across all age groups and showed no adverse effects.
This study is the world’s first clinical trial to obtain safety and effectiveness data of a two-dose inactivated COVID-19 vaccine. The research also involves the longest period, the most comprehensive data, and the most satisfying clinical research results of the COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial.
CNBG is now planning to hold Phase-III human trials of the vaccine candidate overseas. It is because the number of COVID-19 patients in China has dropped significantly and it would be hard to determine whether the vaccine actually prevents COVID-19 infection without testing it on thousands of volunteers.
