Denmark announces funding for clinical trials of Covid-19 vaccine
The Ministry of Health has allocated 18.8 million kroner for the testing of a potential coronavirus vaccine developed by Danish researchers.
A potential vaccine against Covid-19 developed by researchers at the country’s State Serum Institute (SSI) will be supported by state funding for “testing on people” the ministry said in a statement.
The vaccine has shown “promising results” in early development and testing stages, according to the ministry.
Up to 18.8 million kroner will therefore be made available for SSI to “prepare forthcoming clinical test phases of the candidate vaccine,” the statement reads.
“It is important that Denmark plays its part in development and research of vaccines against Covid-19, as this could potentially secure Denmark access to a broader range of vaccines,” health minister Magnus Heunicke said in the statement.
“This funding means that the first clinical test phases can be completed. Subsequently, the vaccine must be tested on a large scale if it has the potential to be approved,” Heunicke continued.
“But regardless of the outcome of the tests, development of a vaccine at SSI plays a part in improving our knowledge of Covid-19 and better equips us to develop future vaccines against future pandemics,” he said.
A large number of doses of the vaccine must be produced in order to carry out the first clinical trials, the ministry writes. Should good results be achieved in subsequent phases, the vaccine may go on to evaluation by the European Medicines Agency.
Should its effectiveness and safety be proved at this stage, it can be given approval for general use.
While work on a Danish vaccine candidate is therefore moving forward, it appears to be some way behind the stage of development of potential vaccines elsewhere.
On Monday, a vaccine jointly developed in the United States by Pfizer and BioNTech was 90 percent effective in preventing Covid-19 infections in Phase 3 trials, the companies announced in what was hailed as a "watershed moment" in the pandemic.
READ ALSO: Covid-19 cases 'explode' in Europe: Which countries are under lockdown or curfew?
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A potential vaccine against Covid-19 developed by researchers at the country’s State Serum Institute (SSI) will be supported by state funding for “testing on people” the ministry said in a statement.
The vaccine has shown “promising results” in early development and testing stages, according to the ministry.
Up to 18.8 million kroner will therefore be made available for SSI to “prepare forthcoming clinical test phases of the candidate vaccine,” the statement reads.
“It is important that Denmark plays its part in development and research of vaccines against Covid-19, as this could potentially secure Denmark access to a broader range of vaccines,” health minister Magnus Heunicke said in the statement.
“This funding means that the first clinical test phases can be completed. Subsequently, the vaccine must be tested on a large scale if it has the potential to be approved,” Heunicke continued.
“But regardless of the outcome of the tests, development of a vaccine at SSI plays a part in improving our knowledge of Covid-19 and better equips us to develop future vaccines against future pandemics,” he said.
A large number of doses of the vaccine must be produced in order to carry out the first clinical trials, the ministry writes. Should good results be achieved in subsequent phases, the vaccine may go on to evaluation by the European Medicines Agency.
Should its effectiveness and safety be proved at this stage, it can be given approval for general use.
While work on a Danish vaccine candidate is therefore moving forward, it appears to be some way behind the stage of development of potential vaccines elsewhere.
On Monday, a vaccine jointly developed in the United States by Pfizer and BioNTech was 90 percent effective in preventing Covid-19 infections in Phase 3 trials, the companies announced in what was hailed as a "watershed moment" in the pandemic.
READ ALSO: Covid-19 cases 'explode' in Europe: Which countries are under lockdown or curfew?
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