Canadian-made COVID-19 vaccine enters clinical trials stage

 

On Tuesday (January 26), Pfizer announced Ontarians should expect another delay when it comes to the COVID-19 vaccine.

However, despite this news, there is reason to hope--a Canadian-made vaccine could soon become available.

Providence Therapeutics has announced today that it has begun clinical trials on volunteers for its COVID-19 vaccine. Dubbed PTX-COVID19-B, the vaccine is a messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine--the same type as the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines--and it's the first Canadian-made vaccine to reach this stage of development.

Subjects will be monitored for a total of 13 months from the beginning of the trial. However, the company expects to accumulate enough data by April to move into Phase 2 in May, pending regulatory approval.

Clinical trials are currently being conducted in Toronto on 60 people between the ages of 18 and 65. Volunteers have been split into three groups of 20, and each group is administered a different dose, as well as a single placebo.

The study will test the immunogenicity of the vaccine, as well as its safety for human use. Pending positive results, commercialization is estimated to begin towards the end of 2021 or early 2022.

“We are thrilled to begin human clinical trials of PTX-COVID19-B. Having a made-in-Canada solution to address the global COVID-19 pandemic will augment the reliability of vaccine supply for Canadians, contribute to the global vaccine supply and position a Canadian company on the global stage as a contributor to the solution,” Brad Sorenson, CEO of Providence Therapeutics, said in a news release.

“We would also like to extend our gratitude to the volunteers who have stepped forward to take part in this important clinical trial," he continued.