World’s scientists working on nearly 80 COVID-19 vaccines
A total of 79 vaccines and 155 drugs are currently being developed across the globe to combat COVID-19, according to statistics from the A ustrian Institute for Health Technology Assessment (AIHTA).
Yesterday, April 20, the Vienna-based institute, which specialises in scientific decision support in the health care sector, published the overview of worldwide research and development activities related to the pandemic.
Most of the 155 drugs under development against COVID-19 have already been approved for other (viral) infections, which means that they require special evidence for approval against COVID-19.
Each of these drugs is based on one or more of the following known antiviral agent(s): remdesivir, lopinavir + ritonavir (Kaletra), favipirvir (Avigan), darunavir (Prezista), chloroquine phosphates (Resochin), hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil), camostat mesilate (Foipan), APN01 (rhACE2), tocilizumab (Roactemra), sarilumab (Kevzara) and Interferon beta 1a (SNG001).
Claudia Wild, head of the AIHTA, said: “Since the majority of these compounds are drugs that are already approved for other indications, international regulators emphasise the need for robust evidence for pivotal studies.”
In early April, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) established a task force to take quick and coordinated regulatory action related to COVID-19 medicines.
As part of its mandate, the task force will review the available scientific data on COVID-19 medicinal products and identify promising candidates, and offer scientific support to facilitate clinical trials conducted in the EU.
Of the 79 vaccine candidates, none have yet moved beyond the development stage and have not been approved.
The vaccine candidates are divided into three vaccine types: live vaccines (with attenuated virus strains), dead vaccines (with virus proteins) or gene-based vaccines (with specific DNA or mRNA).
LSIPR has previously reported on a number of the creation of a number of partnerships to develop vaccines, including Sanofi’s collaboration with the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Johnson & Johnson’s expanded agreement with the department.
Meanwhile, in late March, a consortium of life sciences companies including Novartis, Bristol Myers Squibb and GSK united to accelerate the development, manufacture and delivery of vaccines, diagnostics, and treatments for COVID-19.
The 15 companies agreed to share their proprietary libraries of molecular compounds with the COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator, which was launched by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, research-charity Wellcome Trust, and Mastercard.
Late last week, the National Institutes of Health in the US announced a broad public-private partnership with 16 drugmakers, the US Food and Drug Administration, the EMA and others to develop an international strategy for a coordinated research response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The AIHTA added: “It seems as if the test tubes of this world currently only exist for corona viruses—pharmaceutical and biotech companies, university institutes, research facilities and clinics worldwide are investing enormous resources into the research and development of drugs and vaccines to fight the pandemic,” said the institute.
The Austrian Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection and other stakeholders in the healthcare system asked the AIHTA to prepare the overview.
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