This archive report was first published on 6 May 2021.
Kenya to Host Clinical Trials for Chinese Covid-19 Vaccine ¶
Kenya is gearing up to host clinical trials for a Chinese coronavirus vaccine developed from insect cells, marking the country's participation in a global effort to combat the pandemic.
The vaccine, named recombinant Covid-19 vaccine (Sf9 cells), has been developed by the State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy at West China Hospital, affiliated with Sichuan University. The trials will be conducted in China, Indonesia, and Kazakhstan, with Kenya as the only African country participating in the project.
Prof Walter Jaoko, an immunology expert and director of KAVI Institute of Clinical Research at the University of Nairobi, will lead the tests in Kenya. The vaccine is designed to trigger antibodies against specific areas on the spike protein of Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the vaccine has shown promising results in animal tests, inducing immune responses against infection in mice, rabbits, and monkeys within seven to 14 days after a single dose injection, with 'no obvious' side effects.
Kenya's participation in the trials brings the country's total number of Covid-19 vaccine candidates seeking tests to three, including the University of Oxford/AstraZeneca trials in Kilifi and a Sanofi/GlaxoSmithKline candidate, whose trials might start later this year.
Human clinical trials for the vaccine have been approved in China, with phase I and II involving volunteers aged 18 years and above initiated last year. Trial participants will receive three doses of the vaccine three weeks apart within 42 days.
Both participating males and females are expected to shelve plans to make babies during the study period and commit to using effective contraceptives. Females of child-bearing potential must be willing to use effective contraception for 90 days after receiving the three vaccine doses.
