Coronavirus vaccine and efforts of Pakistani scientists

The number of coronavirus cases has approached a grim milestone of more than 1.8 million and more than 100,000 people have died. All countries are taking stern measures in order to contain the outbreak of coronavirus. More than three billion people have now been urged to stay at home.

Unfortunately, no vaccine for the novel coronavirus has been developed yet. Scientists and virologists around the world including Pakistani Scientists have been racing against the clock to develop a vaccine or cure.

The process of creating a vaccine is complex and time-consuming. It involves several procedures, starting from identifying the genetic sequence and isolating the virus to creating the vaccine and then running human trials.

Let’s take an in-depth review of all the efforts of the scientists including Pakistanis regarding coronavirus vaccine.

International medical labs

Medical experts have initially sought 18 months to develop the vaccine for the novel coronavirus. However, countries with the best medical labs are constantly trying to develop the vaccine.

Meanwhile, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved limited emergency use for chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19. Chloroquine is being tested in various clinical trials conducted by government agencies and academic institutions.

Australia: Australian government scientists have begun the first stages of testing for a potential vaccine against the SARS CoV-2 coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19. Australia’s national science agency CSIRO said that testing at a biosecurity facility was expected to take three months.

Germany: CureVac – a biopharmaceutical company – is also among prominent companies in the race and is likely to begin safety tests in June. These will be followed by efficacy tests.

Russia: Vector Institute in Russia – which had previously worked on the Ebola virus – has also claimed that laboratory tests of prototypes on animals are going to begin soon and the vaccines to be ready for human testing by June.

University of Oxford: ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 is an adenovirus vaccine vector developed by the university’s Jenner Institute. The university is testing the vaccine in a clinical trial planned to be conducted in the Thames Valley Region.

Pakistani Scientists

Dow University’s research lab has claimed today (April 13^th) that it has developed a vaccine for the coronavirus-infected patients.

The research team has informed that they have prepared ‘intravenous immunoglobulin’ from antibodies obtained from recovered patients of coronavirus.

For the first time in the world, the research team has completed the preparation of an effective immunoglobulin for the treatment of coronavirus. The treatment is safe and has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.

In this method, immunoglobulin is prepared after the separation of antibodies found in the blood of a recovered patient from coronavirus.

Hyper immunoglobulin obtained by laboratory testing and its safety trial on animals has been successfully stored in injection (vials).

Another research is under process in Karachi for coronavirus vaccine. Pakistani scientists involved in the preparation of the medicine reportedly made a breakthrough during the initial stages of the research as they identified nine compounds that could be effective in inhibiting the growth of the virus in the host cell.

The research was being carried out by Dr. Atia-tul-Wahab and her team under the supervision of the ICCBS director, Dr. Iqbal Choudhary.

The coronavirus vaccine can give strong support to Pakistan’s declining economy by providing it to nations around the world. The federal government should support the efforts of Dow University if the trails came positive for human use.