COVID-19 Human Vaccine Tests In Singapore To Begin In August

Singapore scientists testing a COVID-19 vaccine from U.S. firm Arcturus Therapeutics plan to start human trials in August after promising initial responses in mice.

The vaccine being evaluated by Singapore’s Duke-NUS Medical School works on the relatively-untested Messenger RNA (mRNA) technology, which instructs human cells to make specific coronavirus proteins that produce an immune response.

The fact that it replicates and triggers a very balanced immune response, both in terms of the antibody and killer cells – those are welcome properties, Ooi Eng Eong, deputy director of the school’s emerging infectious diseases programme.

Antibodies stick to the virus and prevent it from infecting cells, while killer cells, another arm of the immune system, recognise infected cells and destroy them, he said.

The mRNA approach has not yet been approved for any medicine so its backers, which also include U.S. biotech firm Moderna (MRNA.O), are treading uncharted territory.

Because of that, Ooi said longer studies were needed to ensure its safety.

“The most optimistic case is that it’s about this time next year, that we will have a vaccine,” -  Ooi said.

Ooi is also working on a monoclonal antibody treatment for COVID-19 and will begin safety trials on healthy people this week, before testing on COVID-19 patients in the coming months.

Ooi said potential deployment of the treatment could be faster than the vaccine, without giving an exact timeline.

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