Made-in-Vietnam Covid-19 vaccines are expected to be licensed for human trial in December this year following animal testing.
According to Nguyen Ngo Quang, deputy director of the Health Ministry’s Department of Science, Technology and Training, at present, four companies in Vietnam are researching Covid-19 vaccines.
Among those, one researched by the Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals (IVAC) and the other by Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Ltd. Co. have shown the most positive initial results.
IVAC’s vaccine has been sent to a lab in the US for testing, which would cost around USD1 million, including tests on monkeys.
Meanwhile, Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Ltd. Co.’s vaccine is being tested at the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology. However, the Ministry of Health have asked the firm to send the vaccine sample to South Korea for tests.
The test results are hoped to be announced in December this year and they are expected to be licensed for human trials by Ministry of Health in the month. One year later, Vietnam would finish the three steps of human Covid-19 vaccine trials.
Quang added that Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has asked the Ministry of Health to draft a plan on Covid-19 production support, which is aimed for the country to master Covid-19 production technology.
Under the prime minister’s instruction, the Ministry of Health is also seeking to buy Covid-19 vaccines from abroad.