Breakthrough as Australian researchers begin test of 2 COVID-19 vaccines

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The end may be insight for the dreaded coronavirus after researchers from Australia’s national science agency,  started testing two potential vaccines for COVID-19.

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) on Thursday announced that it has commenced the first stage of testing at the Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL), a high-containment biosecurity facility in Geelong, some 75 kilometers southwest of Melbourne.

Two vaccines from The University of Oxford (UK) and Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc. (U.S.) have been identified for the pre-clinical trials which are expected to take three months. Other potential vaccines will be tried at a later stage.

The vaccines for the trials were identified by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation (CEPI), a global foundation dedicated to speeding up development of vaccines against emerging infectious diseases, in consultation with the World Health Organization (WHO). In January, CEPI engaged CSIRO to start working on the virus SARS CoV-2, which causes the disease COVID-19.

Besides the effectiveness of the vaccine, CSIRO is also evaluating the best way to administer the vaccine. The options for better protection against the virus being assessed include an intra-muscular injection and innovative approaches like a nasal spray, according to a media release.

“Beginning vaccine candidate testing at CSIRO is a critical milestone in the fight against COVID-19, made possible by collaboration both within Australia and across the globe,” CSIRO Chief Executive Dr. Larry Marshall said in a media release.

“CSIRO researchers are working around-the-clock to combat this disease which is affecting so many – whether it’s at the Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) or at our state-of-the-art biologics manufacturing facility – we will keep working until this viral enemy is defeated,” Dr. Marshall added.

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