Coronavirus vaccine: Not just Oxford, these 6 vaccines have reached third phase trials as well

Our wait for a COVID-19 vaccine may end sooner than expected. A lot of pharmaceutical giants and independent medical groups have been making steady progress and are in crucial stages of testing to roll out a safe and effective vaccine.

Only when a vaccine is able to surpass phase III testing, it is declared completely reliable and safe for use. Globally, there are over 150 groups in contention to make a COVID-19 vaccine, with 35 in different stages of critical evaluation. Nine of these are currently in phase III testing.

Relying on one vaccine alone isn't the safest bet right now, as witnessed with the temporary hiccups experienced with the Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine. As Adar Poonawallah said, it would take 4-5 years before inoculation reaches the farthest ends of the world. Hence, rather than just one, we should be looking forward to all vaccines which are in phase III.

Apart from the Oxford vaccine candidate, these are the other 6 promising vaccines under testing right now which we should be looking out on:

American giant, Pfizer, which is working on a vaccine with the German company, BionTech is also in the middle of phase III testing. Trials are being overseen in selected centres across the USA and Germany. Pfizer's vaccine model is also amongst the top three ones backed by the US government, which has also reserved doses for its masses.

While the vaccine continues to undergo rigorous testing, the company's CEO mentioned that so far, they have been immensely satisfied with the data and have already ramped production facilities. Over "hundreds of thousands of doses" are being readied for use. If phase III trials, which will end in October are found safe and effective, Pfizer will be launching the vaccine prototype by the end of December this year.

The AD5-NCOV vector vaccine, produced by Cansino Biological Inc. is one of the prime vaccine candidates produced by Chinese scientists. The inactive vaccine model is also in phase III testing. As per reports, China has already gone ahead and started inoculating parts of its population with the vaccine and will make it available for global use, as early as November. While officials have refused to name the vaccine, it is being highly speculated that CanSino's prototype is making steady progress. Early observatory reports also stated that the vaccine model carries a 99% success and safety response, and delivers no abnormal side-effects.

Russia's novel vaccine, developed and produced by Gameleya Research Institute, in collaboration with Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) has already been made available to the public, after the end of Phase I/II trials. However, scientists have been simultaneously conducting phase III trials, testing it on 40,000 people. The move came after the vaccine faced a lot of backlash from global authorities, who criticized the roll out as 'unsafe'.

While Russian authorities were quick to rule out problems related to safety concerns, the officials are now widely testing the vaccine to make it appealing to the public.

Russia is also seeking to enter into a strategic alliance with India to manufacture and scale-up production of the vaccine under testing.

Janssen Pharmaceuticals, the brand behind Johnson and Johnson is also in the middle of starting late scale evaluation of its novel COVID-19 vaccine, which is expected to happen across centres in the middle of September.

Early clinical evidence has suggested that the vaccine was able to deliver effective results. Unlike other vaccines, what gives the company an edge over others is that it would only require one dose per person to work (no adjuvant or additional doses needed), which would make it economical as well as easier.

The company has also struck deals with US government and British officials as well to supply 100 million doses. The company is confident of seeing good results and start mass deliveries in the first quarter of the year.

US-based Moderna Therapeutics Inc in the middle of phase III testing in centres across the country, with over 30,000 people enrolled. While this will be the first time a vaccine by the Moderna will be used publically, early data reports have suggested that the experimental vaccine, devised out of mRNA (a new type of technology which provides immunity by binding to potential pathogens) has been showing immensely safe results. Only a few side-effects were observed. It was also the first one to be declared safe for use for high-risk groups.

October 22 is the date Moderna plans to release observatory results from its critical phase III study. If found to be positive, the company plans to start mass production and deliver millions of doses starting in 2021.

Moderna has also signed pacts with US officials, apart from Japan and other countries to deliver doses as per need, making it a strong competitor in the race.

Wuhan, which was the epicentre of the viral spread at the beginning of the year is now playing host to promising clinical trials of one of the vaccines being worked on in China. Developed by Sinopharm, the vaccine prototype worked on by Wuhan Institute of Biological Products was amongst the first ones to reach phase III trials.

Interestingly, another candidate, also produced by Sinopharm in collaboration with Beijing Institute of Biological Products has also advanced to late scale testing and most likely, to be made available to the public by the end of the year, carrying a price tag of $150.