A COVID-19 vaccine could gradually be in the offing after a
drug experimented on six rhesus macaque monkeys exposed to the virus showed
significant result.
According to the new study — which has not been
peer-reviewed or published in a scientific journal — the vaccine protected the
six monkeys that used it against the virus and is now undergoing human clinical
trials.
The study also showed that the drug — ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 — had
no side effects on the vaccinated animals while it also prevented damage to
their lungs, which can be severely affected by the killer virus.
“We observed a significantly reduced viral load in
bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and respiratory tract tissue of vaccinated animals
challenged with SARS-CoV-2 compared with control animals, and no pneumonia was
observed in vaccinated rhesus macaques,” the researchers said.
“Importantly, no evidence of immune-enhanced disease
following viral challenge in vaccinated animals was observed. ChAdOx1 nCoV-19
is currently under investigation in a phase I clinical trial. Safety,
immunogenicity and efficacy against symptomatic PCR-positive COVID-19 disease
will now be assessed in randomised controlled human clinical trials.”
The study, carried out by researchers from the US
government’s National Institutes of Health (NIH) and University of Oxford, is
now undergoing human clinical trials.
Experts have commended the study as encouraging signs for a
vaccine currently undergoing human trials. They, however, warned that the
vaccine cannot be considered as COVID-19 cure yet until it is as effective in
humans.
Stephen Evans, professor of pharmacoepidemiology at the
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said the results were “very
definitely” good news.
“The most important finding to me is the combination of
considerable efficacy in terms of viral load and subsequent pneumonia, but no
evidence of immune-enhanced disease,” he said.
“The latter has been a concern for vaccines in general, for
example with vaccines against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and for SARS
vaccines.
“This was a definite theoretical concern for a vaccine
against SARS Cov-2 and finding no evidence for it in this study is very
encouraging.”
Penny Ward, a visiting professor in pharmaceutical medicine
at King’s College London, said the study was “helpful” given the fact that it
had no side effects on the monkeys.
“These results support the ongoing clinical trial of the
vaccine in humans, the results of which are eagerly awaited,” Ward said.
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