The Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR) began testing animals for the "BriLife" vaccine in March.The Ministry of Health and the Supervisory Committee have now given the green light to move to the next stage.
Jerusalem:
The ministry said on Sunday that Israel will begin human trials of a potential COVID-19 vaccine developed by a research institute overseen by the Ministry of Defense on November 1 after obtaining regulatory approval.
The Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR) began testing animals for the "BriLife" vaccine in March. The Ministry of Health and the Supervisory Committee have now given the green light to move to the next stage.
The ministry said in a statement that eighty volunteers between the ages of 18 and 55 will be monitored for a period of three weeks to see if antibodies to the virus develop. The second phase is expected to begin in December and will include 960 people over the age of 18.
If these are successful, a third, large-scale phase of 30,000 volunteers is scheduled for April / May. If the vaccine is successful, it may be approved for mass use.
The ministry said the vaccine has already tested well on a number of animal models, and IIBR has produced more than 25,000 doses for the first and second phase of clinical trials.
"Our ultimate intention is 15 million food rations for the residents of the State of Israel and our close neighbors," said Shmuel Shapira, Director of IIBR.
There are no internationally approved vaccines yet, but many are in advanced trials, including from Pfizer Inc, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca Plc, and Moderna.
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