Posted on 02/28/2020 1:50:58 AM PST by TECTopcat
Israeli scientists: 'In a few weeks, we will have coronavirus vaccine'
Once the vaccine is developed, it will take at least 90 days to complete the regulatory process and potentially more to enter the marketplace.
By MAAYAN JAFFE-HOFFMAN FEBRUARY 27, 2020 20:58
(Excerpt) Read more at jpost.com ...
For the past four years, a team of MIGAL scientists has been developing a vaccine against infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), which causes a bronchial disease affecting poultry. The effectiveness of the vaccine has been proven in preclinical trials carried out at the Veterinary Institute. MIGAL is located in the Galilee. “Our basic concept was to develop the technology and not specifically a vaccine for this kind or that kind of virus,” said Dr. Chen Katz, MIGAL’s biotechnology group leader. “The scientific framework for the vaccine is based on a new protein expression vector, which forms and secretes a chimeric soluble protein that delivers the viral antigen into mucosal tissues by self-activated endocytosis, causing the body to form antibodies against the virus.”
Endocytosis is a cellular process in which substances are brought into a cell by surrounding the material with cell membrane, forming a vesicle containing the ingested material.
In preclinical trials, the team demonstrated that the oral vaccination induces high levels of specific anti-IBV antibodies, Katz said. “Let’s call it pure luck,” he said. “We decided to choose coronavirus as a model for our system just as a proof of concept for our technology.” But after scientists sequenced the DNA of the novel coronavirus causing the current worldwide outbreak, the MIGAL researchers examined it and found that the poultry coronavirus has high genetic similarity to the human one, and that it uses the same infection mechanism, which increases the likelihood of achieving an effective human vaccine in a very short period of time, Katz said. “All we need to do is adjust the system to the new sequence,” he said. “We are in the middle of this process, and hopefully in a few weeks we will have the vaccine in our hands. Yes, in a few weeks, if it all works, we would have a vaccine to prevent coronavirus.”
MIGAL would be responsible for developing the new vaccine, but it would then have to go through a regulatory process, including clinical trials and large-scale production, Katz said. Akunis said he has instructed his ministry’s director-general to fast-track all approval processes with the goal of bringing the human vaccine to market as quickly as possible.
“Given the urgent global need for a human coronavirus vaccine, we are doing everything we can to accelerate development,” MIGAL CEO David Zigdon said. The vaccine could “achieve safety approval in 90 days,” he said. It will be an oral vaccine, making it particularly accessible to the general public, Zigdon said. “We are currently in intensive discussions with potential partners that can help accelerate the in-human trials phase and expedite completion of final-product development and regulatory activities,” he said.
“achieve safety approval in 90 days,”
That would beat the record(here in the US) by many months. Not likely.
Once done, 1 year to 18 months of clinical trials before approval in the U.S..
I wonder if the Iranians will want it for their political leaders who have the virus?
As one of the people who was involuntarily lined up and given a shot of Swine Flu vaccine I can tell you from personal experience that it's not always the case.
Gee, if the US refuses to expedite the approval process the situation can’t be that dire.
In any case, God bless Israel.
Gilead and another company are already getting positive results with a drug they already have.
That was being scoffed at here left and right.
This is being taken as gospel based on what?
Wow.
If all goes as planned... that’s a big ‘if’...
Why did France fall behind England during the Industrial Revolution?
All patents had to go through a long bureaucratic review there. During that time, the English would accomplish several rounds of incremental improvements from implementation experience.
Military Guinea Pig? ;-)
If you don’t have excessive bureaucratic hurdles, it can be done, I think. What’s needed? Double-blind test where you vaccinate 50% with placebo and 50% with the vaccine, then expose the entire group to the virus? That won’t take long. Is that how it’s done?
Israelis have a national culture of fast-paced innovation and one of the world’s best medical science sectors. Safety testing and approval are the first of three stages leading to initial marketing. In an emergency, these can be shortened or accelerated, whether in Israel or the US.
Is it not the case that the flu vaccine that we can get is a new version every year? How is that approved for use? Or is it sufficiently similar to previous versions to allow the clinical trials to be bypassed?
You are right, Gilead and Regeneron, are both having positive results and Regeneron, stock symbol Regn, is the company that shut down ebola with their antibodies.
I just thought after reading some of these speculative panic post on here to post some positive fact based ones and yet it is just not as interesting for some people who like to stay with fear.
It’s not dire at all. The symptoms of Coronavirus resemble a cold. The more severe strain COVID-19 which everyone is shrieking about as if it’s the black plague, has a 1% fatality rate. I couldn’t believe it when I read that. In other words if you get it, there’s a 99% chance you will live. If liberals are so upset by those kind of stats, then why do they have no issue with killer drug gangs coming over the border?
Folks around here are far more likely to croak in a car crash on the way to Wally for face masks than they are to die from COVID 19.
Sigh.
I don’t know how long but 12 to 18 months sounds short for the FDA. Years ago I became friends with a Japanese doctor studying chicken pox. He had developed the chicken pox vaccine in Japan and the vaccine was approved and distributed quickly. Chicken pox was gone in Japan, so he came to the USA to study the disease. I met him when my daughter came down with chicken pox. He returned to Japan when the USA began vaccinating children here. I think that was 2 or 3 years later.
Thanks for posting.
Not a doc, but I think you are right w/”design similar to last year”. I heard Dr. Anthony Fauci, (NIAID) give the 12-18 month estimate earlier this week:
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