Preliminary results positive for another experimental vaccine against the coronavirus

The vaccine of Inovio, called INO-4800, is to inject it with a genetic code of DNA in the body of the person in order to trigger a specific immune response against the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.

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June 30, 2020 8h59

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Preliminary results positive for another experimental vaccine against the coronavirus

Agence France-Presse

WASHINGTON — The biotech company american Inovio announced Tuesday the preliminary results, but encouraging for his project of a vaccine against the new coronavirus, which is administered on 40 volunteers in the United States.

According to a company release, the vaccine caused an immune system response in 94 % of the participants who have completed the clinical trial, called phase 1, until the end, that is to say, with two injections four weeks apart.

The vaccine of Inovio, called INO-4800, is to inject it with a genetic code of DNA in the body of the person in order to trigger a specific immune response against the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.

The vaccine is injected under the skin by a needle, then it is activated by a device that looks like a toothbrush, which delivers a mini electric pulse, a fraction of a second, allowing the DNA to enter the cells of the body and fulfill its mission.

Inovio, already funded by the u.s. department of Defense and by the NGO CEPI, also announcing that it has been selected by the program chair, Donald Trump in an attempt to produce hundreds of millions of doses of vaccines by January 2021, the operation “Warp Speed” (speed of light).

The vaccine of the company is the only DNA vaccine stable at room temperature for more than a year”, and “who does not need to be frozen for transport or to be stored for years to come”, said the CEO of Inovio, Joseph Kim.

This is an important advantage to vaccinate the populations of developing countries, where the cold chain is more complex to follow.

23 projects of vaccines against the COVID-19 have started clinical trials, that is to say, on humans, according to the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and many of them have already moved on to the second phase, which consists of the injection of the vaccine on thousands or tens of thousands of volunteers.

The vaccine of the biotech american Moderna and that of the british university of Oxford combined with the laboratory AstraZeneca are among the most advanced in the large-scale testing, as well as several chinese projects, including the company CanSinoBIO who has already obtained the permission of the administration to soldiers of the chinese army

Le Soleil