AUSTIN, Texas — According to the World Health Organization, there are at least 165 vaccines being tested against the coronavirus, with 27 are already in human trials. The process is complex.
First, a preclinical study is conducted on animals to see if the vaccine produces an immune response.
Then, Phase One – the test drug is given to a small number of people to see if it’s safe.
Phase Two – the drug is administered to hundreds of people to further check safety and to see if it causes immune responses against COVID-19.
Phase Three – finally, the drug is given to thousands of volunteers to see if the vaccine is effective against the coronavirus.
Then it’s up to regulators like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to review the results to either approve the vaccine or not.
Most human trials are in the first phase of study as thousands of people have volunteered to take part in vaccine trials. In Austin, Benchmark Research announced recently it is seeking participants for a vaccine study.
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But not all coronavirus studies are about vaccines. Others are underway to see if the symptoms in an infected person can be made less severe. Baylor Scott & White Health is one of a number of health care facilities testing drugs on volunteers who have already caught the virus.
“We definitely have seen promise with the drugs we have tested, including decreased days in hospital stays,” said Jennifer Thomas, RN, who serves as vice president of research operations for Baylor Scott & White. “Our hope is that we can have the patients treated before their illness gets worse or before they get hospitalized.”
While progress is being made to lessen the impact of coronavirus symptoms on those who have been infected, finding a successful vaccine is another issue entirely – one that researchers, patients and indeed everyone hopes will happen soon.
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