Next corona vaccine ahead of clinical trials

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The Marburg virologist Stephan Becker and his team are involved in the development of a corona vaccine. The scientists are now facing the next phase of their studies - clinical trials on humans.

Marburg virologists are preparing the next step in the search for a corona vaccine together with colleagues. "We now have everything together financially and logistically to start clinical phase I," said Stephan Becker, director of the Institute for Virology at the University of Marburg.

Becker and his team are involved in the development of a vaccine and are working with other scientists at the German Center for Infection Research. The approach: You use existing building blocks, so-called vaccine platforms, to get to a candidate against the pathogen Sars-CoV-2 as quickly as possible.

Development must take place in stages

"In the last few years, we have already geared our collaborations so that we can be really fast when it comes to producing a vaccine," says the virologist. However: "In the public perception, none of this is fast enough. But there is no other way, vaccines simply need their time - and I am not prepared to press safety measures either." Becker had already explained in January that it could take a year and a half for a new vaccine to become operational.

The expert emphasizes that the development of a vaccine takes a certain amount of time because it takes place in stages. Phase I of the clinical trial is primarily about ensuring the tolerability of an active ingredient with a few healthy volunteers. A Mainz company has been testing an active ingredient candidate as part of a phase I / II study since the end of April.

Working together increases the chances of success

The Marburg scientist Becker considers it important that researchers and companies worldwide participate in the search: "We need a relatively large number of vaccine approaches and candidates in order to then fish out those that are best." After the first clinical tests, quite a few would also be dropped. Several candidates are also important because one manufacturer alone does not have enough capacity for the required quantities. (ag / dpa)

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