Kazakh COVID-19 vaccine may enter clinical trials in September 2020

Coronavirus • 23 June, 2020

Kazakh COVID-19 vaccine may enter clinical trials in September 2020

At the government session chaired by the Prime Minister Askar Mamin, the Minister of Education and Science Askhat Aimagambetov reported on research activities in the field of biological safety.

Egemen Qazaqstan

According to Aimagambetov, in Kazakhstan systematic research is carried out in the field of biosafety and biotechnology. There are 12 research organizations in the industry, about 2.5 thousand people. Today, nearly 4 thousand future industry specialists are studying at 19 universities of the country.

The National Center for Biotechnology is one of the major research centers of biological profile. The center consists of 25 certified scientific laboratories.

“At the initial stage of the pandemic, when test systems had not yet been imported into the country, specialists of this institution in 6 days, without a live strain of SARS COVID-2, using artificial synthesis, developed a reliable PCR test system for the diagnosis of coronavirus. Thanks to this system, we carried out a general diagnosis in the early days of the epidemic. Comparing with later received foreign diagnostics, the high sensitivity of this system was proved,” the minister said.

To date, the National Center for Biotechnology, commissioned by the Ministry of Healthcare, has produced 11 thousand test systems.

Another important organization in the industry is the Biosafety Research Institute. In 13 laboratories of the Institute, work is carried out with dangerous infections. The Institute has entered into an agreement with WHO to develop vaccines against especially dangerous infections for health care. The work of the Institute is aimed at developing new types of vaccines in medicine and agriculture, and the production of immunobiological preparations. In total, the organization has developed 67 types of domestic vaccines against dangerous and especially dangerous infections.

In addition, Institute scientists on three platforms are currently developing five vaccines against CVI.

“The first inactivated vaccine — the virus is neutralized by exposure to chemicals. WHO checked the protocol for the development of an inactivated candidate vaccine and included it on its list on May 15, 2020,” the minister said.

On May 15, 2020, preclinical trials of the candidate inactivated vaccine began: the safety and immunogenicity of linear mice were tested.

On June 10-23, 2020, the toxicity and allergenic properties of the candidate vaccine were studied, and in June-July 2020, studies will be conducted on various animals, including primates, and immunogenicity will be investigated.

In September, it is planned to enter clinical trials.

According to the minister, in case of success of these test phases, it will be possible to advance to the next stages of testing the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine.

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