THURSDAY, April 9, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Another clinical trial of an experimental vaccine for the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) has been launched by U.S. researchers.
The trial of the vaccine candidate from Inovio Pharmaceuticals will test two doses of the vaccine in 40 healthy volunteers at the Kansas City research lab and the University of Pennsylvania. The company is also organizing a similar study in China, the Associated Press reported.
Inovio researchers have packaged a section of the COVID-19 genetic code inside a piece of synthetic DNA, which is then injected as a vaccine. The experimental vaccine is given using a skin-deep shot instead of the typical deeper jab, after which a device that gives a little electrical zap is held over the spot to help the vaccine penetrate more easily, Kate E. Broderick, Ph.D., Inovio research and development chief, told the AP.
Another experimental vaccine for COVID-19 that was developed by the U.S. National Institutes of Health began safety testing in volunteers last month in Seattle. About two-thirds of the participants have received the first of two doses, the AP reported.
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