The proliferation of COVID-19 has turned upside down a familiar lifestyle throughout the world. Specialists cannot say for sure when the epidemic will decline, and even more so when it will end. The main hope for the entire world community remains the discovery of a vaccine against coronavirus.
Judging by the news, the American biotechnology firm Moderna is the farthest advancement on this issue. Together with the US National Institutes of Health, she developed a prototype vaccine, designated mRNA-1273. Human drug trials began at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute in Seattle, Washington. In addition, according to AP, Inovio Pharmaceuticals is currently developing its drug. His trials are expected to begin in April in the United States, China, and South Korea.
Exclusive access
Despite the successes of American experts, the newspaper Die Welt reported earlier this week that the administration of US President Donald Trump had offered a “large sum” to the German company CureVac for exclusive access for their country to a potential coronavirus vaccine.
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Last week, CureVac CEO Daniel Menicella was in the White House along with other pharmaceutical companies. Participants in the meeting discussed the coronavirus vaccine with Trump, vice president Mike Pence and members of the presidential anti-disease team. As noted in the company’s press release, Menikella told US officials that the experimental medication would be ready by early summer.
According to Welt, Washington urged CureVac to move its research wing to the United States and develop the US-only vaccine. Information about the attempt by the American authorities to entice the company was confirmed in the German Ministry of Health.
The news provoked indignation among German politicians, who demanded that Berlin do everything possible to interfere with Washington’s plans. In turn, the American ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, wrote on Twitter that the Welt article is “untrue.” Another US official told AFP that the information was “greatly exaggerated,” and rejected the possibility that any open vaccine would be for the United States alone. CureVac itself has also denied any “rumors” of takeover.
“All efforts are aimed at developing a vaccine against coronavirus in order to help and protect people and patients around the world,” the company said in a statement. Later it became known that the European Commission will finance the activities of CureVac.
World efforts
After specialists from China managed to isolate the genetic code of the virus, countries around the world began work on a vaccine. Researchers from the EU, USA, Australia, Israel, China, Japan and Russia are trying to find a way to fight COVID-19. About 35 companies and research institutions are working on the creation of medicines. Four of them have already switched to animal testing. Clinical trials have recently been allowed in China. Earlier it was reported that eight vaccines for a new type of coronavirus were developed in this country and that some of them have already been successfully tested on transgenic mice and macaques.
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Searching for a vaccine is a complex and slow process in itself. It follows the same principle: scientists are trying to create something similar, but less dangerous than a pathogen. Then it is exposed to the human immune system through vaccination. Ideally, the body remembers the pathogen. With the new exposure to the virus, the human body will begin to react before the infection has time to spread. However, some experts are concerned that there is a risk of upsetting this balance with rapid vaccination. Then this can lead to aggravation of the disease. According to Reuters, studies have shown that coronavirus drugs carry a risk of what is called the development of the “antibody-dependent syndrome of increased infection.” This refers to the process when the disease does not recede after the use of the vaccine, but, on the contrary, progresses even more.
If we are talking about sudden outbreaks (as now), then with the vaccine it is still more difficult. The virus can appear and disappear in a few months, and also quickly change as it spreads. Therefore, observing the simultaneous attempts of different countries to find a vaccine, it is more correct to talk not about the race, but rather about the lottery. Each team has its own ticket, and whether it wins, depends not only on speed or skills, but on a successful combination of circumstances. It is worth remembering that the more teams in the game, the more chances there are to achieve success faster. From a business perspective, developing a vaccine is a risky business. After all, only a few candidates from all will be able to get to clinical trials.
Vaccine Duration
Even if the drug appears right now, it will take at least a year and a half tests before the drug becomes available to ordinary consumers. WHO speaks of at least 18 months. Once a vaccine is recognized as effective, mass production will be needed. Most organizations that are trying to defeat COVID-19 simply do not have such capacities.
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The Global Coalition for Innovation for Epidemic Prevention, CEPI (Coalitionfor Epidemic Preparedness Innovations), intends to support these companies. This international organization is ready to invest in vaccine development and simultaneously increase production. She recently stated that $ 2 billion is needed to support drug development efforts. According to CEPI Executive Director Richard Hatchet, the vaccine development program could not be fully implemented without the money.
However, the obstacles do not end there. Another problem is to provide the vaccine to everyone who needs it. As a rule, pandemics are most affected by the poorest countries. Just because they don’t have the money to build effective healthcare systems. This also affects vaccine procurement opportunities. For example, during the 2009 swine flu pandemic (H1N1) in 2009, the wealthiest countries bought up the main supply of medicines, leaving poor countries with nothing. Another option is also possible. For example, India – a major supplier of vaccines to developing countries – decides to use production facilities primarily to protect its population of 1.3 billion and only then export medicines for the rest. This scenario fully explains the desire of the US authorities to get the vaccine first at any cost.
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In this sense, WHO can bring together governments, philanthropic foundations and vaccine manufacturers to agree on an equitable global distribution strategy. But pandemics are different, and in this case, no country is required to comply with any international requirements. As health expert Jonathan Quick of Duke University of North Carolina notes, immunization is likely to be affected by “politics and economics.”
Wilder Smith, a professor of new infectious diseases at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said the pandemic “is likely to peak and decline before the vaccine becomes available.” In this case, the medicine can still save many lives, especially if the virus becomes circulating, like the flu, and new seasonal outbreaks will appear.
But before vaccine production begins, it is important to hold back the disease for as long as possible. Therefore, while scientists are working in laboratories, the rest is better to stay at home and wash their hands once more.
Dmitry Belyaev
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