|
 The
drugmakers said they expect to start clinical trials for the vaccine
in the second half of this year. If successful, the vaccine would be
available in the second half of 2021.
The announcement comes at a time when drugmakers are pausing
clinical trials for other disease areas as they focus on testing
potential treatments for the coronavirus.
The adjuvanted vaccine will be developed by combining Sanofi's
S-protein COVID-19 antigen and GSK's pandemic adjuvant technology.
Adjuvants are efficacy boosters that play a vital role in many
vaccines. An adjuvant is added to some vaccines to enhance the
immune response, and has been shown to create a stronger and longer
lasting immunity against infections than the vaccine alone.
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The companies said they have also entered into a material transfer agreement,
allowing them to start working together immediately.
Earlier on Tuesday, UK-based GSK's domestic rival AstraZeneca Plc said it would
start a clinical trial of its cancer drug, Calquence, to assess its potential to
control the exaggerated immune system response associated with COVID-19
infection in severely ill patients.
(Reporting by Aakash Jagadeesh Babu in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)
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