Clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccine to begin in Pakistan this week

Renowned scientist and Chairman of Prime Minister’s Taskforce on Science and Technology, Dr Atta-ur-Rahman said on Sunday that the clinical trials of the proposed COVID-19 vaccine produced by a well-acclaimed international company will start in Pakistan from this week.

He said this while talking to the state-owned news agency.

Dr Atta-ur-Rahman said that the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences based in the University of Karachi has been approved for conducting clinical trials of the vaccine.

Dr Rahman said that it usually takes two to three months for the completion of a vaccine’s clinical trials.

After successful completion of all the trials the COVID-19 vaccine will be available in the country between the months of April and June coming year, he added.

Earlier on September 12, Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar had said that Pakistan is all set to participate in the Phase 3 trials of a Chinese developed coronavirus vaccine.

Taking to Twitter, head of National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) Asad Umar said: “Pakistan will be participating in phase 3 trials of a Chinese developed vaccine for coronavirus”.

“The trials in Pakistan will Inshallah start in about 10 days time,” he added.

It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan’s first Phase 3 clinical trial for CanSino’s candidate, Ad5-nCoV, will be led by the government-run National Institute of Health (NIH) along with pharmaceutical company AJM – the local representative of CanSino.