Thai mRNA vaccine highly effective in phase 1 trial

An mRNA vaccine developed by Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok to protect against COVID-19 has demonstrated that it is 94 percent effective in the first phase of human trials. The research team is asking the government to help get it to the public at the earliest possible.

The United Nations has praised Thailand for having one of the best public health systems in the world among developing countries. Although the Kingdom has had slight experience in developing vaccines, but the coronavirus pandemic has spurred Thai researchers and scientists to begin work on a variety of vaccines.

Their efforts should have a multiplier effect to further raise the level of medical research and development in the Kingdom. It will result in locally produced vaccines to protect against COVID-19, as the virus may alter and remain in the human population for years to come, just as with influenza.

Researchers expect the ChulaCOV-19 vaccine developed by Chulalongkorn University to start the second phase of human trials this month. The team of developers at the Faculty of Medicine has requested government support, especially in terms of financial sponsorship, to allow the project to be properly run.

Prof. Dr. Kiat Ruxrungtham, Scientific Chair of the Chula Vaccine Research Center, said that there were no significant side effects among those who participated in the first phase of the human trial.

“It is also found that the ChulaCOV-19 vaccine has a high efficacy rate in preventing COVID-19 infections, at 94 percent, the same as Pfizer’s vaccine,” Dr. Kiat said.

“Primary results obtained one week after the second dose showed that it has an 80 percent efficacy rate to build immunity to deter coronavirus variants such as Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta,” he said.

Photo courtesy of https://www.chula.ac.th/en/news/44920/