Max Minute: Clearing Up Confusion About Coronavirus Vaccine Research
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - The race is on to develop a vaccine to protect against the coronavirus. But can one be developed quickly and safely?
Seldom have more biotech firms, university labs and big pharma focused with such intensity on a single biological challenge: Creating a vaccine against COVID-19. With over 100 vaccine initiatives using a wide variety of techniques at different stages of development, plus wildly optimistic and misunderstood stages of testing, it's little wonder that there is confusion over a vaccine timetable, reported CBS2's Dr. Max Gomez.
The latest blueprint and schedule comes from Pfizer, using a genetic approach similar to Boston biotech Moderna, which just got nearly a $500 million government grant to develop its approach.
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Both companies target their vaccine against the spike protein of the coronavirus, the device corona uses to attach to cells. They manufacture synthetic bits of the genetic material that codes for the spike, then inject it into the body where the hope is that the immune system will learn what the viral spike looks like, and attack the whole virus.
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Pfizer is trying four different genetic bits, hoping that one or more will work. But all vaccines have to go through three hard to accelerate testing phases. First is just human safety - several vaccines are in this stage. Then comes immunogenicity - does the vaccine stimulate the immune system and how much? FInally, the third phase is giving the vaccine to hundreds or thousands and compare them to an unvaccinated control group.
Some companies are saying their vaccines will be "ready" in a few months. That likely means ready for some phase of testing. The concern is that the FDA will allow shortcuts in these test phases to speed up vaccine development and that could lead to significant human harm.
