Will it really take12 to 18 months, like we keep hearing?
Heres what they have to say about the road to a new coronavirusvaccine.
How close are we to a new coronavirus vaccine?
Heather Hazzan; Design by Morgan Johnson
Falzarano puts it simply: We dont have one, he tells SELF.
In fact, he explains, there are no approved coronavirus vaccines that are used in humans.
Bottazzi sums it up well: Vaccines are not easy to develop, she tells SELF.
The current state of new coronavirus vaccine development definitely bears that out.
There are reportedlyat least 26different potential new coronavirus vaccines somewhere in the development pipeline.
Whats the process of developing a new coronavirus vaccine?
The first choice involved when it comes to making any new vaccine is deciding on an antigen.
These spike proteins are what the virus utilizes to bind to a human cell receptor, Bottazzi says.
The spike protein binding allows the virus toenter the cell and replicate.
We are pretty sure that we need to use the spike protein as the vaccine antigen, he says.
Its a fine line.
This is how other vaccines on the market, including thehepatitis B vaccine, protect against various infectious diseases.
There are pros and cons to every delivery method.
We know various ways that we can deliver [the spike protein] antigen, Falzarano says.
But we dont really know the best way to do so.
(Neither expert I spoke with for this piece is involved in developing this vaccine.)
Do the animals make antibodies that can fight off thevirus?
Do the antibodies stop the virus from infecting cells?
(If so, these are called neutralizing antibodies.)
Usually you would demonstrate that your vaccine works in two different animal models, Falzarano says.
Safety testing is also performed in animals prior to proceeding into human clinical trials.
How will researchers test the new coronavirus vaccine?
These consist ofseveral different phasesto test for safety and find out how well the vaccine really works.
The plan is to split the volunteers into groups that will receive different doses of the vaccine.
But given how quickly we need a new coronavirus vaccine, things might happen a bit differently.
In any case, Phase II testing usually happens in hundreds of people, Falzarano says.
Phase III then tests efficacy and safety in a much larger group of people, often thousands.
Even after a vaccine is approved, studies typically continue to look into its safety and effectiveness.
These are Phase IV, or post-licensure, studies.
Will this really all take at least a year?
This doesnt mean that the vaccine will actually be produced and available to the public in that time frame.
That process could take additional months, unfortunately.
Twelve to 18 months may be the inspiration, but its unclear that its realistic.
It doesnt even mean wewonthave a vaccine at that time.
It just means that theres simply too much up in the air right now to make that promise.
The situation with coronavirus is evolving rapidly.
