Dalhousie University is scheduled to begin phase one of human trials for a vaccine against COVID-19 — making it the first clinical trial in Canada.
“We just need to get our Research Ethics Board approval, which we expect we’ll get this week,” Dr. Scott Halperin, the Canadian Centre for Vaccinology (CCfV) director who is leading the clinical team, said of the potential start date.
The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and the CCfV, both based out of Dalhousie, will work in collaboration with Beijing-based company CanSino Biologics to test the vaccine.
Dalhousie is working in partnership with CanSino so that Canada will be able to produce this vaccine if it is proven to be effective, Halperin explained in an interview with the Charlatan.
“[This vaccine] was one of the first ones that went into clinical trials. Actually, second to getting clinical trials in China,” Halperin said.
CanSino entered into phase two trials for this new vaccine in China during April. In the global fight to combat the deadly virus, this vaccine is one of hundreds being developed worldwide.
“CanSino is a company that has an agreement with NRC, so that NRC will be able to start manufacturing this vaccine if it works,” Halperin said.
Canadian manufacturing of the vaccine is especially important if international borders close so that Canadians have proper access to the vaccine once it becomes available, according to Halperin.
“If we have a production capacity in Canada, it will be guaranteed that we will have a vaccine in Canada,” he added.
As of May 27, there are 86,939 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Canada, according to the Government of Canada website.
“Oftentimes, to go through the three phases of study, takes anywhere from five to seven years,” Halperin said.
The three phases of clinical trials are typically phase one which assesses safety, phase two which assesses efficacy, and phase three which involves randomized, blind testing of a potential vaccine.
Currently, the CCfV is conducting a study in which they combine phases one and two of the clinical trials, to accelerate the overall research period. Halperin added his team will be doing some parts of the study simultaneously — without sacrificing safety.
“If everything goes according to plan, we might even be able to start doing phase three studies by the early fall,” Halperin said.
The development of this vaccine is especially crucial for reopening Canada’s economy, according to NRC president Iain Stewart.
“Until such time as there is an effective vaccine for COVID-19, the virus will continue to disrupt all aspects of our society and economy,” Stewart said.
Although the pressure is on, Halperin said he is grateful his team will not have to start from ground zero.
“Our network [CCfV] was established for this exact purpose, and was used during the Ebola outbreak, and now will be used again during this pandemic,” Halperin said.
“You need to have this kind of infrastructure planning so that when something happens, you are prepared to deal with it,” he added.
While Halperin and his team will be doing all they can to produce a viable vaccine, the future is uncertain with the possibility of COVID-19 mutations. Whether new vaccines will be needed to treat them, remains unknown.
“Coronaviruses also can change, but they don’t seem to change as frequently [as influenza], and it’s not clear when we have a vaccine, how long protection will last for people,” he explained.
While it is exciting to work on a vaccine against COVID-19, Halperin said he is prepared for disappointments, as not all vaccines will work.
“One has to keep up with the process in order to find a vaccine that will work. It’s very important that we stay focused on the final solution,” Halperin said.
“The goal is reaching the end point of getting vaccines that are effective.”
Featured image by Fusion Medical Animation via Unsplash.
