Sanofi announces new vaccine project as Australia begins animal tests

France’s  Sanofi Pasteur and US biotechnology company  Translate Bio have joined the race to develop a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus behind COVID-19.

Translate Bio, based in Lexington, Massachusetts, will take responsibility for discovering, designing, and manufacturing several vaccine candidates for SARS-CoV-2, while Sanofi will contribute research and vaccine-related expertise.

“We are committed to leveraging different ways to address the COVID-19 public health crisis by testing treatments, as well as two vaccines using different platforms,” said David Loew, Sanofi’s global head of vaccines.

Vaccine development programmes have sprung up at an unprecedented rate to try and bring coronavirus under control.

Australia’s federal  Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), responsible for leading scientific research in the country, announced today that it had begun pre-clinical testing for two vaccine candidates.

The first phase of testing, involving animals, is expected to take three years, while any vaccine would not be available and approved for use in humans until late next year, said CSIPRO director of health Rob Grenfell.

Apart from the collaboration with Translate Bio, Sanofi had  previously announced an agreement with the US government to develop a vaccine.

The news followed a similar announcement from Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen. Indian drugmaker  Zydus Cadila has also launched its own fast-track programme in response to the crisis.

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