According to the World Health Organization, almost 70 coronavirus vaccines are in development worldwide. Three candidates been already tested in human trials, as drug makers battle to find a remedy for this novel deadly virus.

The farthest vaccine is in the clinical process and is an experimental vaccine that is developed by Hong Kong-listed CanSino Biologics Inc. and the Beijing Institute of Biotechnology. It is in phase 2 stage. The other two are being tested in humans and are developed separately by U.S. drugmakers Moderna Inc. and Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc., as per a WHO document.

Progress is happening at exceptional speed in developing vaccines as the infectious pathogen cannot be stamped out only through containment measures. The drug industry is expecting to shorten the time it usually takes to get a vaccine in the market i.e. about 10 - 15 years to within the next year.

All big and small drug makers are trying to develop a vaccine, which could be the most effective way to hold the virus. According to the WHO document, pharmaceutical giants like Pfizer Inc. and Sanofi already have vaccine candidates in the preclinical stages.

Last month CanSino said that it received Chinese regulatory approval to commence human trials of its vaccine. Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Moderna, also received regulatory approval to move towards quickly to human trials. They have been asked to skip the years of animal trials, which are the standard norm in developing vaccines. Last week, Inovio had begun its human trials.

Source: ET Healthworld