LAHORE: The University of Health Sciences (UHS)is all set to launch the phase-III trial of a new Chinese vaccine ‘ZF2001’ for prevention of Covid-19 among local population, involving 1,000 volunteers, from the next week.

This was stated by UHS Vice-Chancellor Prof Javed Akram while presiding over a meeting on Thursday at the varsity.

The university had earlier ran the trial of CanSino vaccine developed by Beijing Institute of Biotechnology. The trial that registered 18,000 volunteers is in the follow-up stage.

The VC said the National Bio-Ethics Committee had approved a phase-III randomized, double-blind, place bo-controlled trial involving the local population having 18 years of age and above to determine the safety and efficacy of ‘ZF2001’– a recombinant vaccine for prevention of Covid-19.

“A double-blind study is one in which neither the participants nor the experimenters know who is receiving a particular treatment,” said the UHS VC. The procedure is employed to prevent bias in research results.

“We are expecting the trial’s approval by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) during this week after which the recruitment of volunteers will start”, he said, adding that a total 1000 volunteers would be registered for the trial.

He further said that three doses of the jab would be administered to each volunteer in as many months after which the trial would enter the follow-up stage. Each volunteer would have to visit the trial site seven times during the three months for which he or she would be paid an amount of Rs16,000 for travel and food expenses. The trial would be complete in 18 months, he added.

Prof Akram said the vaccine was being sponsored by Chinese Anhui Zhifei Longcom Biopharmaceutical Co. Ltd, with DRK Pharma Solutions as its local contact research organisation (CRO).

Vaccine-trial focal person Dr Shehnoor Azhar, DRK Pharma representative Dr Atif Mirza, health workers and Chinese experts were present in the meeting.

Published in Dawn, February 12th, 2021