Bangavax's Animal Trials Found Effective Antibodies against Covid-19

Globe Biotech's coronavirus vaccine 'Bangavax' has been tested on monkeys and the company claims that it is getting good results.

According to Globe Biotech, they will move towards experimental trials in humans after 'animal trials' on more than half a hundred monkeys for two months.

Dr Mohammad Mohiuddin, senior manager (quality and regulatory) at Globe Biotech, said an application for a "human trial" would be submitted to the Bangladesh Medical Research Council (BMRC) by September.

"We have started animal trials on 56 monkeys since August," he said. We have to do it within the suggested protocol by keeping it in our own animal center. We will apply to BMRC for human trial by September.

An application was submitted last January for a clinical trial of a possible coronavirus vaccine invented by Globe Biotech.

Later, a revised application was submitted in February by adding data as per the demand of BMRC.

Dr. Mohiuddin said, "We have received a letter from the BMRC stating that the trial of the vaccine in monkeys or chimpanzees should be completed before the clinical trial.

He said the trial has started on August 1 and will end in September. We hope that Bangavax will also be effective against the recent variants of coronavirus infection.

The results will be announced to the media after the completion of the experimental application, he said.

Claiming that effective antibodies were found in the 'animal trial', Mohiuddin said, 'The special feature of our vaccine is that a single dose of it has found effective antibodies in the animal trial. We hope to find similar results in clinical trials.

He said the vaccine can be stored for 1 month at 4° C and up to 6 months at -20° C.