Germany authorizes first human trial for vaccine in the country.
The study will be conducted on approximately 200 volunteers. The clinical trial will primarily test the tolerability and safety of the substance.
DW - Germany has authorized its first clinical trial of a potential vaccine for the new coronavirus, the country's regulatory authority, the Paul Ehrlich Institute, announced on Wednesday (22). The firm BioNTech received the green light to test a component developed by the German company in cooperation with the American giant Pfizer. The study will be conducted on approximately 200 volunteers. The clinical trial will primarily test the tolerability and safety of the substance.
The study, the fourth to be authorized worldwide, represents, according to the Paul Ehrlich Institute, a "significant step" toward making the vaccine "available as quickly as possible." The organization stated that the approval is "the result of a careful evaluation of the risk profile and potential benefit of the possible vaccine."
The tests will be carried out on "200 healthy volunteers aged between 18 and 55 years", while the second phase may include the inclusion of volunteers belonging to high-risk groups.
Neither the Paul Ehrlich Institute nor the developers specified when the test would begin, although BioNTech stated in a press release that it would be "soon" and "sooner than our expectations."
The institute also highlighted that "more clinical trials of candidate substances for a COVID-19 vaccine should begin in Germany in the coming months."