Coronavirus vaccine (BANCOVID) shows high efficacy in pre-clinical trial on mice: Globe Biotech

The lone Bangladeshi coronavirus vaccine developer Globe Biotech Ltd said their coronavirus vaccine --named BANCOVID-- has shown high efficacy in pre-clinical trial on mice.

Globe Biotech Ltd now wants to start clinical trial on human as early as possible, and is seeking cooperation from the government regulatory bodies to accelerate the approval process.

"We have completed our basic task -- the development of the vaccine. Now we want to go for clinical trial on humans and we need approval from the regulatory bodies," Dr Kakon Nag, CEO of the company, said during his presentation at a press conference in Dhaka today.

He claimed that they are highly confident their vaccine candidate will be proven to be one of the advanced corona vaccines.

"If things go smoothly, we hope to supply the vaccine by next December-January," Nag said

Speaking at the occasion, experts also lauded the efforts of Globe Biotech Ltd, but said there is a long way to go.

"BANCOVID has just finished pre-clinical stage. The issue whether the vaccine will be proved effective will come later. But we appreciate Globe Biotech Ltd for it," Prof Mamun Al Mahtab, chairman of hematology department at BSMMU, said in his remark at the event.

BANCOVID has not been enlisted in the draft of Covid-19 vaccine candidates of the World Health Organization (WHO) yet.

Dr Kakon Nag, however, alleged that local officials of the WHO are delaying the process.

"We have submitted all necessary documents to them (WHO). But they are delaying the process unnecessarily," Nag alleged in reply to a query.

The Daily Star, however, could not reach to any WHO official immediately for their comment in this regard.