4 Thai-developed Covid-19 vaccines, nasal spray fast nearing finish line
Four locally developed Covid-19 vaccines and an antibody-packed nasal spray should be registered with the Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) very soon, deputy government spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek said on Saturday.
The four vaccines – Chula-Cov19, HXP-GPOVac, Baiya SARS-CoV-2 Vax and Covigen – are undergoing human trials and should be ready for FDA registration once all three trial stages are completed, she said.
The spokesperson said more than 20 Covid-19 vaccines are being researched and developed by different Thai state agencies, universities and companies.
The vaccines are being developed with the use of several techniques, including viral vector, protein subunit, mRNA and virus-like particles, she said.
Among the agencies involved in the research and development are the National Vaccine Institute, Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO), National Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (Biotec), Chulalongkorn University and Mahidol University.
Meanwhile, the nasal spray designed to neutralise the Covid-19 virus is expected to be registered with the FDA by June for commercial production in the third quarter of this year, Rachada said on Saturday.
The spray is jointly developed by the GPO, Chulalongkorn University, Silpakorn University, Health Systems Research Institute and Hibiocy Co Ltd.
Meanwhile, another Covid-19 vaccine in the form of nasal spray is being developed by Biotec. Called NASTVAC, the vaccine was tested on animals and is expected to be tested on humans in the second quarter of this year.
The spokesperson said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has lauded Thai researchers and agencies for their devotion and collaboration in developing Covid-19 vaccines.
“Thanks to them, Thailand’s progress with Covid-19 vaccine R&D is at the forefront in the region,” she quoted Prayut as saying.
