Australian scientists begin pre-clinical testing for coronavirus vaccines

SYDNEY: Australian scientists have begun pre-clinical testing for two potential coronavirus vaccines, the country’s national science agency said today (Thursday).

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) told an international news agency that the first phase testing would take around three months.

CSIRO’s director of health Rob Grenfell said, “Any resulting vaccine would not be available to the public before late next year.”

He further said, “We’re still sticking to the optimistic 18 months for delivery of vaccine to the general consumers. Now this, of course, may change. There are a lot of technical challenges that we have to go through.”

The CSIRO’s director also said that the scientists were working at a “remarkable” pace; reaching the pre-clinical testing stage in about eight weeks, a process that usually takes up to two years.

“The human trials of one of the two vaccine candidates will begin later this month or early next month,” CSIRO’s director added.

Meanwhile, the vaccines made by Oxford University and the United States company – Inovio Pharmaceutical – have been cleared for animal testing by the World Health Organization (WHO).

So far, coronavirus has claimed lives of almost 24 people in Australia and has affected more than 5,200 people. Globally, the death toll from coronavirus has surged past 47,200.