Sinopharm Commences Phase III Trial of COVID 19 Vaccine in UAE

Chinese state-owned pharmaceutical company, Sinopharm, has started the first Phase III clinical trial of its inactivated COVID 19 vaccine in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The UAE health authorities have issued a permit for up to 15000 volunteers to take part in the trials.

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The trials are being conducted as a result of the cooperation between Abu Dhabi based G42 Healthcare and Sinopharm’s China National Biotec Group. These are operated by health practitioners from Abu Dhabi Health Services (SEHA) who are providing the facility at five of their sites in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain in addition to a mobile clinic so that the trials are readily accessible to the volunteers who are part of the whole programme.

The UAE has been chosen for the purpose of this trial since the country is home to around 200 nationalities, allowing for robust research across multiple ethnicities and increasing its feasibility for global application of the vaccine once the trials are done with. G42 Healthcare and SEHA are working towards recruiting a minimum of 5000 volunteers in the first stage of the program in order to have credible results from the trials.

Month: Current Affairs - July, 2020