Chinese Envoy Volunteers First in COVID-19 Vaccine Trial in Bangladesh

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming has shown his willingness to be the first volunteer in the final or phase-3 human trial of a prospective Chinese COVID-19 vaccine here as it is going to be approved by the Bangladesh government.

''Ambassador will be the first one once it (trial) is approved by due Bangladesh authorities,'' Deputy Head of Mission, Chinese Embassy in Dhaka Yan Hualong told BSS today.

''As I have no chance to win against him (ambassador), I'll be happy to be the second one,'' he said, adding that lots of engineers and technicians in the local Chinese community here volunteer as the first batch of participants in the phase-3 trial.

On Sunday, Bangladesh's regulatory Medical Research Council (BMRC) extended ''ethical approval'' for phase-3 human trial of the prospective COVID-19 vaccine by China’s private Sinovac Biotech Ltd, which appeared to be a forerunner in a global race for developing inoculates against coronavirus.

BMRC decided to approve the last stage trial of the Chinese vaccine as Dhaka-based International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDR’B) submitted a research protocol seeking to carry out the study.

The BMRC official said the regulator kept in consideration ''Bangladesh's benefit'' alongside prospect and safety issues of the vaccine, studying the advancement of the Sinova's research in China while reviewing the ICDDR'B proposal.

However, the BMRC approval would require a subsequent endorsement from Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and Directorate General of Drug Administration.

But ICDDR’B officials said they still await a formal agreement with Sinovac though by now they reached a consensus with the Chinese company to conduct the phase-3 human trial of their vaccine.

He said the disease research center expected the launch the trial ''very soon'' accomplishing quickly the remaining official procedures.

ICDR’B sought to carry out the trial in eight health units dedicated to COVID-19 patients in Dhaka while it submitted the proposal nearly a month ago for the clinical trial.

These are Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) Unit-1, DMCH Unit-2, Kurmitola General Hospital, Kuwait Maitree Hospital, Mahanagar General Hospital, Mugda Medical College Hospital and The Holy Family Red Crescent Medical College Hospital.

BMRC officials said 2,100 volunteers would be vaccinated while another 2,100 people would remain beyond the vaccination to gauge its efficacy.

Sinovac last month said it expected to complete the last phase of its prospective COVID-19 vaccine before November claiming the inoculate proved ''safe and effective'' on humans so far.

About a dozen vaccines are in different stages of human tests globally, while Chinese researchers appeared as forerunners alongside their western counterparts and drug makers.

None of the vaccine trials, however, have passed large-scale, late-stage phase-3 clinical trials, a mandatory step to avail regulatory approval for sale.

Beijing earlier promised to make universal its prospective vaccines while prospective vaccine developers in the country also said they were unlikely to keep the shots for China alone.

Sinovac earlier said it alone stood ready to manufacture 100 million doses but it appeared uncertain how quickly other countries would have access to the vaccine if it proves successful while China’s own population currently stands at nearly 1.4 billion.