After getting animal model success Globe Biotech, a Bangladeshi firm, claimed that it is under process of clinical trial with its newly invented COVID-19 vaccine.
“The COVID-19 vaccine, we prepared, has produced highly effective antibody in animal model against coronavirus spike protein,” said Dr. Asif Mahmud, In-charge of Research and Development Department of Globe Biotech Limited.
“We have concluded the animal-model preliminary trial and now we will go for regulated animal trial,” Dr. Asif said at a press conference in a conference room of the company in the city’s Tejgaon.
He said that the preliminary trial was conducted on three rabbits in a level 3 bio safety laboratory.
Dr. Asif said that they needed four to six weeks more to go to clinical trial of the vaccine with the approval of Bangladesh Medical Research Council (BMRC), as they yet to get another report of animal model trial.
“In the mean time, we will submit application to BMRC for approval of clinical trial,” he said.
“Our team is doing well in the race of COVID-19 vaccine development. We are here to announce our primary success,” said Dr. Asif.
He, however, said that they were yet to patent or publishes their effort in journals.
“It is a big day for us and for the nation that we are a notable stage of the global race of producing a vaccine to prevent the fatal diseases,” said Md. Harunur Rashid, Chairman of Globe Biotech Limited.
He said also that they are now seeking ethical approval from BMRC for clinical trial after the regulated animal trial.
“We have the capacity to produce 7 million vials of the vaccine if finally get market authorisation from the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA),” the company chairman said.
Officials of the Globe Biotech said that they started the analysis of COVID-19 genome sequence since March and concluded the preliminary animal trial of the vaccine in June.
Replying to a query, officials of the company said, their researcher team working to invent the vaccine are full of Bangalees.
They said, two Bangladeshi origin Canadian Scientists Dr. Naznin Sultana and Dr. Kakon nag are leading the researcher team.
BMRC and DGDA officials said they were unaware about the Globe Biotech’s efforts.
Although no vaccine has completed clinical trials yet across the world, there are multiple efforts in progress to develop such a vaccine.
In February 2020, the World Health Organisation said that it did not expect a vaccine against the virus, to become available in less than 18 months.
In the vaccine race, institutes in different countries as well AstraZeneca at the University of Oxford, Chinese Institute of Biotechnology of the Academy of Military Medical Sciences and the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases are in the advanced stage.
