Oxford University recruiting volunteers for Covid-19 vaccine trialMarch 30, 2020 - 12:20 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Oxford scientists are enrolling the first volunteers to test a UK coronavirus vaccine, in a dramatic acceleration of the typical pace of drug development, The Guardian reports. The trial will recruit up to 510 healthy adults, aged 18 to 55, to test the vaccine called ChAdOx1 nCoV-19. The participants will not receive the vaccine for some weeks. While screening of participants takes place, the vaccine will continue to be assessed in animal trials at the Public Health England (PHE) laboratory at Porton Down, near Salisbury and, simultaneously, be manufactured to clinical grade standard at a University of Oxford facility. Prof Adrian Hill, the director of the Jenner Institute at the University of Oxford, said: “Vaccines are being designed from scratch and progressed at an unprecedented rate. The upcoming trial will be critical for assessing the feasibility of vaccination against Covid-19 and could lead to early deployment.” The Oxford team previously worked on a rapid vaccine response during the Ebola outbreak in west Africa in 2014. Hill said coronavirus had posed an “even greater challenge”. The team needs people without Covid-19 and is likely to exclude anyone on medication and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Some will be injected with the vaccine and others with a control injection for comparison. It is expected to be months before scientists know whether the vaccine is effective, as larger trials will be needed and participants’ immune response will need to be monitored. The number of confirmed cases of people with coronavirus across the world has surpassed 723,000, over 34,000 people have died, while more than 152,000 have recovered, according to information provided by international research groups. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Moody's upgrades IDBank's rating Moody's has upgraded ID Bank CJSC's (IDBank) long-term local and foreign currency bank deposit ratings to Ba3 from B1. U.S. “very clear” with Azerbaijan: “It’s time to make peace with Armenia” James O'Brien has said that the United States is “very clear” with Azerbaijani that it is a time to make peace with Armenia. Destruction of Armenian heritage raised at PACE Member of the Armenian delegation to PACE, MP from the “I Have the Honor” bloc Hayk Mamijanyan delivered remarks at a PACE session. PACE adopts resolution on Armenia's commitment to reforms PACE welcomed the electoral reforms implemented by Armenia in accordance with the recommendations of the Venice Commission. |