Australian coronavirus vaccine clears first phase of human trials

A promising Australian coronavirus vaccine has cleared the first phase of human trials — and could be available in as soon as October, according to a report.

Developed by scientists in Adelaide, the injectable drug known as COVAX-19 is the first vaccine candidate in the country to successfully clear the “phase one” hurdle and could be ready for use in three or four months, according to 7news.com.au

The drug was shown to safely generate an immune response in 40 people earlier this month, according to Vaxine, the company behind the drug, and researchers from Flinders University.

COVAX-19 is also one of only a handful of potential vaccines that have progressed beyond phase one of human trials in the world, which one expert called exciting.

“Safety data from the clinical trials shows the vaccine isn’t showing any problems at all and is inducing the right type of immune response…It’s very exciting,” said Nikolai Petrovsky, a Flinders University Chairman and Research Director of Vaxine.

“Now we do much bigger clinical trials in a larger number of individuals to prove the vaccine is working.”

Phase two trials for COVAX-19 will include 400 to 500 volunteers and are scheduled to start in September.