The above trial 3rd run in Pakistan

LAHORE: Doctors in green scrubs and sneakers darted in and out of specially designated rooms at Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad one chilly morning last month, attending to volunteers participating in late-stage clinical trials for a Chinese coronavirus vaccine.

Pakistan launched the trial in September for Ad5-nCoV, a vaccine candidate co-developed by CanSino Biologics and a Chinese military-backed research unit. The tests are being led by Pakistan’s National Institute of Health (NIH) and the Chinese company’s local representative.

This month’s announcement by Pfizer that its experimental COVID-19 vaccine was more than 90 percent effective based on initial trial results has been hailed as a major victory in the war against a virus that has killed more than a million people and battered the world’s economy.

Though scientists, public health officials and investors have welcomed the first successful interim data from a large-scale clinical test as a watershed moment, they also say several vaccines will be necessary to meet massive global needs.

In Pakistan, the government plans to administer the experimental Chinese vaccine to at least 10,000 volunteers, doctors in charge of the program said.

Shifa International, the first of five trial sites, has repurposed a building previously used for COVID-19 testing for the trial. There are two more trial centers in Karachi and two in Lahore.

“There is a criterion that each volunteer has to fulfil,” Dr. Ejaz Khan, the chairman of infection control at Shifa Hospital, told Arab News.

Volunteers can arrive by appointment, or simply walk in, but must be over 18 years of age, willing to participate, have no major diseases and not have been infected with the coronavirus, Khan, who is heading the trials, said. Pregnant women cannot take part in the exercise.

“Also, he or she must be able to participate for more than one year,” Khan said.

Doctors administering the trials said that they had to ensure that each volunteer was first counselled on what to expect from the process, asked to sign a document of consent and have his or her basic health examined. Next, blood samples were taken, and then the vaccine was injected into the upper arm.

Since Sept. 22, Khan said 1,500 people had taken part in the trial at Shifa Hospital where doctors work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day to register volunteers’ data and store their samples.

During the year’s course, the volunteers will be monitored through weekly messages and monthly phone calls.

Each participant receives a one-time travel and food allowance of 3,000 Pakistani rupees ($19) on the first visit and 5,000 Pakistani rupees on the second, a year later, when he or she must provide a second blood sample.

Last month, sisters Urmila, 18, and Faiza, 20, who had arrived to volunteer for the trials, said that they had heard about the trial from a neighbor, who told them that each candidate would receive a travel allowance.

“Yes that (the money) is one reason,” said Urmila when asked why she was volunteering, holding her national identity card, a pen and a questionnaire in her hands.

The form required basic contact details and a brief health history to be filled out before a candidate could be approved for the trial. “I don’t know what to write,” Urmila said. “I am not literate, you see.”

Seated behind her was Sumaira Shafiq, a middle-aged housewife who unlike Urmila was still unsure about whether she should participate in the trial. “I am observing right now,” she said. “Who knows, I might just slip out before my turn.”

If Shafiq ends up participating in the trial, her blood samples, like those of all participants, will be shipped to Dalhousie University in Canada, which will independently review the data to determine the vaccine’s efficacy.

By early next year, interim results are expected to become available.

“Let’s say three months from now, they (the university) will tell us OK this vaccine is not effective, stop the trials, or the vaccine is effective, let’s move to Phase 4,” Khan said.

Phase 4 is when the vaccine will be prepared for manufacturing, marketing and distribution.

Pakistani officials have said once proven, they expect Pakistan will be provided with several million doses of the vaccine on a priority basis by CanSinoBio.

The Chinese vaccine, one of nine developed worldwide that are considered safe, will be tested on 40,000 people in several countries.

So far only 10 percent of the participants have developed adverse reactions to the vaccine. “These include pain in the injection area, body ache and fever,” Khan said.

My average very low.....so no big deal

it is the fact that the only one capable of doing fill and finish for Cansino is Solution in Malaysia.

solution is to supply to other countries also

minister is usually a snake but the press is a snake eater

Free to the population but Government foot the bill ( pay for it )

ular, china vaccines will be sold to philipines and Indo . these two have a combined population of 370 million x RM 10.00 ( profit is assumed per bottle). Total profit attainable would be RM 3.7 billion

enough to beat TG

Hi mabel.

Jealousy of US because of white supremacy. The agenda of JPM to downgrade the gloves sectors is to depress the share price of gloves counters so that their investment partners in Asia can buy them cheap. they know very well that the gloves sectors are fundamentally sound with potential growth.

anyway, I am holding on to be entitled to more dividend and bonus issue in months to come

dont have high expectation on miss Dayang..... she is very fussy and pussy...... she can make you die young happy or unhappy..... dont play the fool with her. but if you know how to please her, you will see more funs than distastes.........

no reason to be down but valid reason to be up....... shark is not horrible but troll like you is more horrible .....

gaining or losing is just a way of life. how you can overcome matters most ....... no point crying over the spilt milk . let the bygone be bygone . Moving forward and looking at the bright side, you will be in the game again.......

for gambling, you rely on luck. if luck is on your side, you stand to win it all.

but for investment , you rely on your gut feeling. no gut feeling, you are out of the game.

it is as simple as that

to buy what is worth and not what is cheap or expensive

The directors know that they are not going to be re-elected in the AGM so they relinquish their posts to more competent BOD.

The new mgt is said to be aggressive and energetic..confidence level is high now and new chapter has begun.....

@Joy_vest .i see monkey do i follow monkey do...so many people also do like that so i just follow..i think i see many times otherpeople do like that..i am one of the many thousands only
_________________________________________

You are a scumbag

@Joy_vest I sold my mother for rm 4 for hisap lanchio and play my mom pookeee.
Here i can boast as i have not suffered contra losses yet
___________________________________________

U.are offensive anf abusive to insult family member of members and indeed a scumbag .you have been reported..

@Joy_vest and bearish_trend

*Why vent your anger on me?
*Why are you so offensive to insult the family members of members.?
*You two are believed to be the same persons
*both of you are scumbags

Oh dear

Ular What is the difference between correct and incorrect ?

Hard to say,.it seems 2.00 is in the making

Sharing to wear underwear,sharing opposite sxx

Free sharing like this platform

Ular,incorrect.

The best thing in life is everything is free.

Free Makan ,free transport free fxxking, free investment ,free vaccine ,freedom of speech,every thing is free...

Who pays for the above? There must be someone......you bet....

Ular,what is the best thing in life?

Wanna me to buy you pfizer or moderna one?

Free one...but I buy for u.

No china vaccine then pfizer or moderna one....

Who got paid? ,who made profit,? The vaccine vendor .correct?

Wanna me to buy you free vaccine,?..free to u but not free to me,correct?

UAE still has to pay for it right? Right!....

Why are you so simple? Wanna me to buy your lunch? Free to u but not free to me..correct?

Boss gives you free lunch.he doesnt have to pay for it,does it?

Whst comes down must go up like your dick unless you are half past six ular...

Are you a nutcase or what? I can give it free of charge doesnt mean I don't have to pay for it from the suppliers....

Ular again

Ok.latest news....explosive ones....

I am waiting for my Xmas bonus....free shares

Governments free to the population but foot the bills of vaccines suppliers..no such thing as free vaccine.....I get it free from Government. Government will tax me back....

Cansino doesn't have much side effect as the rests.....

Xmas bonus for everyone?

That group is full of clowns and buggers acting to make the movie called " IT 2"..

Australia might cut export of iron ore to China which relies on to make steel.if so,it will affect the production of steel hence reducing supply of steel pushing up steel price....

the company is worth more than 1.80 given its future bright prospects

top up or bugger up

gone case ...

china buy vaccine in order to give face to the respective countries but whether they are going to use it is another matter............

stagnant

The one rejected by Australia is the vaccine developed by UK..

The one cancelled by Australia is the vaccine developed in UK.

Xmas is around corner and new year is coming.i bet with ah cow. If it can not reach 0.30 by next year, ah cow must leave this forum for good.

Why they care ?cos they don't want you to be swindled like in pasar malam....

To collect more 2moro....soon or later ,I will be one of the significant shareholders....a lot of big guns recently retired with a lot of shares changed hand..causing a temporary set back...

It will be normalised..