Latest on global search for coronavirus vaccine: Three candidates show early promise - MSN Money
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An all-out global race to develop a safe vaccine against coronavirus is underway. The stakes couldn't be higher: an effective vaccine or treatment against the virus that causes COVID-19 is necessary to fully restart economies and resume civic life.
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As the pace accelerates, USA TODAY is rounding up some of the week's most notable vaccine developments.
They include a massive contract by the U.S. government to get dibs on a possible vaccine that may or may not work, very early but promising news on two different vaccine candidates, one from China and one from the United States, and a caution that sometimes biology can't be sped up as much as we might want.
Given all the discussion of a coronavirus vaccine in the news, it can be difficult to remember a crucial fact was missing — whether people who have recovered from COVID-19 were immune to getting it again.
If protective immunity was possible, a vaccine was also likely possible. Until this week that hadn’t been established, even in animals.
Not all viruses generate natural protective immunity, so scientists had worried people could potentially be infected over and over again. The monkey data makes that seem less likely.
“Our findings increase optimism that the development of COVID-19 vaccines will be possible,” said the study’s leader, Dr. Dan Barouch, a virologist who is also a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.
Chinese vaccine shows early promise
Chinese researchers on Friday published a study in the British medical journal The Lancet on an early candidate vaccine tested on 108 healthy adults in Wuhan, China.
Within two weeks of getting the vaccine, the immune systems of people receiving all three doses showed some level of response, with most developing a type of antibody that can attach to the virus, though not necessarily destroy it. Some also developed so-called neutralizing antibodies, which can kill the virus.
The vaccine is from CanSino Biologics in Tianjin, China. The trial is in the early stages and it is not yet known if the possible vaccine can generate enough of these neutralizing antibodies to protect people against the virus.
The candidate vaccine is scheduled to be tested in Canada soon. The Canadian Center for Vaccinology is working with CanSino and Canada’s National Research Council to coordinate the trial. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the announcement during a press briefing.
CanSino chairman Xuefeng Yu worked in Canada from 1996 to 2009.
$1.2 billion for first dibs on untried vaccine
On Thursday the United States has pledged to pay as much as $1.2 billion to get early access to 300 million doses of an experimental COVID-19 vaccine being developed and tested in England by the University of Oxford’s Jenner Institute and licensed to British drugmaker AstraZeneca.
It is expected to be delivered as early as October, though that means only that the doses will be stored until the vaccine completes clinical trials ensuring it is safe and effective in protecting against COVID-19 infection. If it isn't, they'll be destroyed.
Red tapes mark the seats as part of social distancing measures inside a reopened movie theatre, after the government announced the lifting of the state of emergency in some prefectures, in Kyoto, Japan, on May 23.
Government workers spray disinfectant on luggage of disembarking Filipino overseas workers at a seaport in Cebu City, Philippines, on May 23. According to the Philippine Coast Guard, close to 15,000 Overseas Filipino Workers in various quarantine centers have been issued clearances to travel to their home towns after they were tested negative for the novel coronavirus and completed the mandatory 14-day facility-based quarantine.
A supporter of Spain's far-right party Vox attends a drive-in protest against the government's handling of the coronavirus disease pandemic in Madrid, Spain, on May 23.
Migrant workers aboard the cruise ship Superstar Gemini berthed at the Marina Bay Cruise Centre in Singapore, on May 23. The Superstar Gemini is being used to house around 700 migrant workers who have recovered from coronavirus.
An MTA cleaning contractor sprays Shockwave RTU disinfectant inside a New York City subway car on May 23, in New York City. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has decided to close New York's subway system from 1am to 5am every night for a deep cleaning as an added measure.
Children hold their containers filled with porridge donated by the non profit organisation "Hunger has no Religion", at an underprivileged areas, in Johannesburg, South Africa, on May 23, as the country faces a lockdown.
Simon Garner, leader of the fitness class 'On the Step', leads a 12 hour stepathon for residents in Kennington, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease, in London, on May 23.
Medical staff members walk past a mural depicting a nurse, a doctor and a soldier fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic, painted by street artist Slimjoe in support of health workers, outside the Emilie Muller Hospital in Mulhouse, France, on May 22.
Commuters travel on a public bus with an electronic sign reading 'Wear a face mask', in Curitiba, Brazil on May 22.
Customers queue outside the Novaya Riga hypermarket of the Leroy Merlin retail chain, in Moscow, Russia, in May 22. Several Leroy Merlin outlets are allowed to continue operation under the condition of strict control over the numbers of customers received at a time.
A big Playmobil wearing a face mask is displayed at a toy store during the lockdown imposed by the government against the spread of the new coronavirus, in Buenos Aires, on May 22.
A woman receives a food parcel as part of a government food parcels program distribution amid the spread of the coronavirus in Santiago, Chile, on May 22.
A woman wearing a mask in the NYC subway amid the coronavirus pandemic, on May 22.
Anti-government protest continues in Ljubljana after the Slovenian government declared the end of coronavirus epidemic in the country, on May 22. Thousands of people rode bicycles around the government buildings in sign of protest following a whistleblower's revelations of corruption in the government of Janez Jansa and accusations of its undemocratic rule and to protect the nature.
Devotees attend the congregation of Jumat-ul-wida, the last Friday of the Islamic holy fasting month of Ramadan, while maintaining social distance at Jamia Mosque Data Darbar after the government relaxed a weeks-long lockdown that was enforced to help curb the spread of the coronavirus in Lahore, Pakistan, on May 22.
Children wearing protective face masks play near the entrance to the Forbidden City on the day of the opening of the National People's Congress (NPC) following the outbreak of the coronavirus, in Beijing, China, on May 22.
A boy walks in front of graffiti promoting the fight against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the Mathare slums of Nairobi, Kenya, May 22, 2020.
A manicurist paints a client's nails from behind a clear, plastic wall and wears a face mask, hat and gloves as a precaution amid the new coronavirus pandemic at a nail salon in La Paz, Bolivia, Friday, May 22, 2020.
Municipal workers cross a road on their way to disinfect apartment buildings to combat the spread of the coronavirus infection in Bucharest, Romania, Friday, May 22, 2020.
Masked customers inside Café Valparaiso, a neighborhood cafe and restaurant, during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic on May 22, 2020 in Estoril, Portugal.
A man wears a face mask as waits to visit his relative who is hospitalized at Ciudad Deportiva provisional hospital, on May 22, 2020, in Mexico City.
Indonesian police patrol a market area as they conduct an operation against clothing vendors defying a partial lockdown against the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, and ahead of Eid al-Fitr celebrations, which mark the conclusion of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in Jakarta, Indonesia, on May 22, 2020.
People go through a disinfection chamber in front of a shopping mall to buy clothes ahead of the Eid-Al-Fitr festival, which is marks end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, during a lockdown following the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on May 22, 2020.
Trucks are parked in a queue at the border between Costa Rica and Nicaragua, after Nicaragua's government closed the border for freight traffic, during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Penas Blancas, Costa Rica, May 21, 2020.
People commute on a bus during morning rush hour in Beijing on May 22. China took the rare move of not setting an annual growth target this year after the coronavirus battered the world's second-largest economy and ravaged global growth, Premier Li Keqiang said, on May 22.
Volunteer clowns distribute clothes and toys to children for the upcoming Eid al-Fitr festival alongside complying coronavirus pandemic restrictions in Mersin, Turkey on May 22.
The face of a graduating student is displayed on a tablet attached to a robot during a "cyber graduation" ceremony at a school on May 22, in Taguig, Metro Manila, Philippines. Robots represented some 179 graduating students of the Senator Rene Cayetano Science and Technology High School during a graduation ceremony that was streamed online, as mass gatherings remain prohibited in the country.
A group of North African migrants wait to disembark from the rescue boat on their arrival at the port of Motril on May 22, in Motril, Spain. During the coronavirus outbreak rescues at sea have reduced in number, but since the reduction of lockdown measures, migration routes have now opened again.
An attendant serves tea for officials at the opening session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on May 22.
Alex Montagano demonstrates his "Hugging Station" with neighbour Sharon Pearce-Anderson, that he built to embrace family members amid the coronavirus precautions in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on May 21.
Personnel from the Secretary of Health of the Municipality of Quito take samples for the diagnostic test for coronavirus from the health personnel who will attend the Temporary Center 'Quito Solidario', installed in the Metropolitan Convention Center of Quito, Ecuador, on May 21.
A man holds a blanket to collect food donations passed down from the balcony of an apartment as part of a program to help low income households in Mexico City, Mexico, on May 21.
Members of the public and NHS workers react at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital during the Clap for our Carers campaign in support of the NHS, in London, England, on May 21.
A couple are served their pizzas outside of a restaurant by a waiter wearing protective face masks and gloves on a hot afternoon in Rome, which is gradually getting back to normal after further lifting of the Coronavirus lockdown in Italy, on May 21.
A mother holds her newly born baby during the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, at the post-natal lactation room at the Medellin General Hospital, in Colombia, on May 21.
Personnel from Guatemala's health ministry perform a test on a woman at a fresh produce market, in Guatemala City, Guatemala, on May 21.
Pedestrians walk past a mural depicting various forms of transportation after the government eased lockdown, in Mumbai, India, on May 21.
Workers prepare a face mask exhibition at the National Museum, in Prague, Czech Republic, on May 21.
Health workers talk to a resident as they screen her for the coronavirus during lockdown, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on May 21.
A swimmer jumps into water during the opening day of a public open-air pool, in Cologne, Germany, on a warm and sunny day, on May 21.
Several families cook at the Altos de la Estancia neighborhood, where there have been several evictions during the last three weeks, in Bogota, Colombia, on May 20.
Francini Cafe De Colombia owner Francini Osorio serves customers in a trial phase during lockdown, in Worcester, England, on May 21.
People throng the beach on Ascension Day at Scheveningen, in The Hague, Netherlands, on May 21.
A shopper pushes the pedals of a foot-operated elevator at Seacon Square shopping mall, in Bangkok, Thailand, on May 20.
People eat lunch behind protective plastic barriers on the table between diners on May 20, in Seoul, South Korea.
Chinese President Xi Jinping greets officials wearing face masks, as he arrives for the opening session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) at the Great Hall of the People on May 21, in Beijing, China.
Hand sanitizer is seen between a cocktail and a beer tap on May 21, in Christchurch, New Zealand.
A security guard scans the body temperature of an employee, as another uses tweezers to hand her a face mask, as the employee arrives for her shift on May 20, in Codogno, southeast of Milan, Italy.
Migrant workers and families line up to register for a train going to their native places after the government eased a nationwide lockdown on May 20, in New Delhi, India.
Display mannequins are placed between customers at the Cafe Livres in Essen, Germany, on May 20.
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The vaccine is still in very early clinical trials in humans and is being tested for safety, whether it produces antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and whether it protects the immunized from becoming infected with the virus. The first tests began in England on April 23.
Last week Oxford reported that a single dose of the vaccine caused six rhesus macaque monkeys to develop antibodies to coronavirus within 28 days but did not protect them from becoming infected with COVID-19.
The vaccine, called ChAdOx1, did prevent them from developing pneumonia and lung inflammatory disease when the animals were exposed to the virus.
Moderna vaccine appears safe
On Monday, Moderna announced its candidate vaccine appeared to be safe when given to eight humans and that it stimulated an immune response to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Experts called it a "so far, so good" finding.
Participants in Phase 1 clinical trial tests made neutralizing antibodies to the virus. When tested on human cells in the laboratory the antibodies stopped the virus from reproducing.
After two doses of the candidate vaccine, participants' antibody levels were about the same as in people who have recovered from a COVID-19 infection.
There is no data yet on whether the candidate vaccine protects against becoming infected with SARS-CoV-2.
While many advocates have suggested fast-tracking vaccine trials in humans, deputy editor Douglas Green says while clinical trials, especially the large-scale Phase III portion, are time-consuming, they are vital to ensuring a vaccine is safe and effective.
All the vaccine candidates that have been in the news so far are in Phase 1 and Phase 2, meant to test that the vaccine itself doesn't cause reactions and that it causes the body to mount an immune response.
Moving too fast on Phase 3 could be "catastrophic," Green wrote. There are examples of preliminary vaccines that produced neutralizing antibodies but when large trials were conducted they made infections worse.
That happened in a 1966 trial of a vaccine against Respiratory Syncytial Virus, RVS. Subjects who got the vaccine actually did worse when infected with the virus. Green cautions that many scientists believe proper testing will mean an effective vaccine won't be widely available for 12 to 18 months.
He quoted cancer biologist Charles Sherr, who told him, “Fast is slow, and slow is fast.”
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