COVID-19 Vaccine Watch: Where We Are Now and Who’s Leading the Global Race

Ever since COVID-19 has been declared a global pandemic, researchers, scientists, and vaccine manufacturers from around the world have joined the race towards discovering a COVID-19 vaccine that will help eradicate the SARS-CoV-2 virus, hopefully for good.The World Health Organization (WHO) has released the draft landscape of COVID-19 candidate vaccines last July 28, 2020.

According to the landscape document of WHO, there are now 25 candidate COVID-19 vaccines under clinical evaluation while 139 candidate COVID-19 vaccines are currently in pre-clinical evaluation. 

General Stages of Development Cycle of Vaccine

Here are the general stages of the development cycle of a vaccine according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

• Exploratory stage
• Pre-clinical stage
• Clinical development

Three-Phase Process

Phase 1

• Small groups of people receive the trial vaccine.

Phase 2

• The clinical study is expanded and the vaccine is given to people who have characteristics (such as age and physical health) similar to those for whom the new vaccine is intended.

Phase 3

• The vaccine is given to thousands of people and tested for efficiency and safety.

Furthermore, many vaccines undergo Phase IV formal, which is the ongoing studies after the vaccine is approved and licensed. 

• Regulatory review and approval
• Manufacturing
• Quality control

25 Candidates of COVID-19 Vaccine in Clinical Evaluation

 

Here are the following manufacturers/developers of the COVID-19 Vaccines in clinical evaluation:

Candidate COVID-19 Vaccine in Phase 3 Clinical Trials

University of Oxford/AstraZeneca

• The type of candidate vaccine developed by the University of Oxford/AstraZeneca is ChAdOx1-S. 
• The COVID-19 candidate vaccine of the University of Oxford/AstraZeneca’s Phase 1/2, Phase 2, and Phase 3 clinical trials are currently ongoing. 
• According to the study published in the ISRCTNregistry with a scientific title “A phase III randomized controlled trial to determine safety, efficacy, and immunogenicity of the non-replicating ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine”, the study will start from May 2020 to July 2021.

Sinovac

• Sinovac’s type of candidate vaccine is Inactivated.
• The candidate vaccine manufactured by Sinovac is simultaneously in Phase 1/2 and  Phase 3. 
• The Phase 3 clinical trial is to assess the efficacy of  Adsorbed COVID-19 (inactivated) vaccine in health professionals according to the study, “ Clinical Trial of Efficacy and Safety of Sinovac’s Adsorbed COVID-19 (Inactivated) Vaccine in Healthcare Professionals (PROFISCOV) posted in ClinicalTrials.gov.
• The estimated start of the Phase III trial is July 2020 and the estimated study completion is October 2021.

Wuhan Institute of Biological Products and Beijing Institute of Biological Products/Sinopharm

• The type of the candidate vaccine developed by the Wuhan Institute of Biological Products and Beijing Institute of Biological Products/Sinopharm is Inactivated.
• The candidate vaccine is simultaneously in Phase 1/2 and Phase 3 clinical-stage.
• The study for the Phase 3 of the candidate vaccine is called “A Phase III clinical trial for inactivated novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) vaccine (Vero cells)” or the “Randomized, Double-Blind, Parallel Placebo-Controlled, Phase III Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Safety and Protective Efficacy of Inactivated SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine in Healthy Population Aged 18 Years and above” which was published in the ChiCTR website. 

Moderna/NIAID

• The type of vaccine by Moderna is LNP-encapsulated mRN.
• The candidate vaccine of Moderna’s Phase 1, Phase 2, and Phase 3 clinical trials are currently ongoing.
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• The Phase III study published in the ClinicaTrials.gov it is called “A Phase 3, Randomized, Stratified, Observer-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study to Evaluate the Efficacy, Safety, and Immunogenicity of mRNA-1273 SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine in Adults Aged 18 Years and Older”, the actual start of the Phase III trial is on July 27, 2020 and the estimated completion of the study is on October 27, 2022.

BioNTech/Fosun Pharma/Pfizer

• The type of candidate vaccine manufactured by BioNTech/Fosun Pharma/Pfizer is 3 LNP-mRNAs.
• The candidate vaccine’s Phase 1/2 and Phase 3 clinical trials are currently ongoing.
• In the study published in the ClinicalTrials.gov website which is the “A Phase 1/2/3, Placebo-controlled, Randomized, Observer-blind, Dose-finding Study To Evaluate The Safety, Tolerability, Immunogenicity, And Efficacy Of Sars-CoV-2 Rna Vaccine Candidates Against Covid-19 In Healthy Adults”, the study was started last April 29, 2020 and it is estimated to be finished January 23, 2023.

Candidate Vaccines in Phase 2 Clinical Trials

CanSino Biological Inc./Beijing Institute of Biotechnology

• The of the candidate vaccine manufactured by CanSino Biological Inc./Beijing Institute of Biotechnology is Adenovirus Type 5 Vector.
• The candidate vaccine of CanSino Biological Inc./Beijing Institute of Biotechnology is simultaneously in Phase 1 and Phase 2.
• The study published in ChiCTR website is called “A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled phase II clinical trial for Recombinant Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCOV) Vaccine (Adenovirus Vector)” or the “A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled phase II clinical trial for Recombinant Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCOV) Vaccine (Adenovirus Vector) in healthy adults aged above 18 years”.

Anhui Zhifei Longcom Biopharmaceutical/Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences 

• The adjuvanted recombinant protein (RBD-Dimer) is the type of the candidate vaccine developed by Anhui Zhifei Longcom Biopharmaceutical/Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
• The vaccine’s clinical trial stage is in Phase 1 and Phase 2.
• In the Phase 2 study “A Randomized, Blinded, Placebo-controlled Trial to Evaluate the Immunogenicity and Safety of a Recombinant New Coronavirus Vaccine (CHO Cell) With Different Doses and Different Immunization Procedures in Healthy People Aged 18 to 59 Years” published in the ClinicalTrials.gov, the study started July 12, 2020, and it is estimated that on December 15, 2021 the study will be completed. 

Candidate COVID-19 Vaccine in Phase 1/2 Clinical Trials

Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences

• The candidate vaccine type of the Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences is Inactivated.
• Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences’ candidate vaccine is in Phase I/II.
• In the ClinicalTrials.gov website, according to the study, “A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Phase Ib/IIb Trial of an Inactivated SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine in Healthy People Aged ⩾60 Years”, the study started July 10, 2020 and estimated completion of the study is November 21, 2021.

Inovio Pharmaceuticals/ International Vaccine Institute

• DNA plasmid vaccine with electroporation is the type of the candidate vaccine of Inovio Pharmaceuticals/ International Vaccine Institute.
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• The clinical trials of the candidate vaccine is currently in Phase 1/2. In the study, “A Phase I/IIa, Dose-Ranging Trial to Evaluate Safety, Tolerability and Immunogenicity of INO-4800, a Prophylactic Vaccine Against SARS-CoV-2, Administered Intradermally Followed by Electroporation in Healthy Volunteers”, the trial started June 22, 2020 and it is estimated that the study will be done by February 22, 2022. 

Osaka University/ AnGes/ Takara Bio

• Osaka University/ AnGes/ Takara Bio’s type of candidate vaccine is DNA plasmid vaccine + Adjuvant.
• The candidate vaccine is in the Phase 1/2 clinical trial stage. 
• In study, “A Non-randomized, Open-label, Non-controlled Phase I/II Study to Assess Safety and Immunogenicity of Two Doses of Intramuscular AG0301-COVID19 (1mg/2mg) in Healthy Adults”, which was published in the ClinicalTrials.gov,  the study started June 29, 2020 and expected to be finished on July 31, 2021.

Cadila Healthcare Limited 

• Cadila Healthcare Limited’s type of candidate vaccine is DNA plasmid vaccine.
• The clinical trial stage of the vaccine is Phase 1/2.
• In the ClinicalTrials.gov website, the study for Phase 1/2 of the candidate vaccine is “Novel Corona Virus-2019-nCov vaccine by intradermal route in healthy subjects” or “A prospective, randomized, adaptive, phase I/II clinical study to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of Novel Corona Virus -2019-nCoV vaccine candidate of M/s Cadila Healthcare Limited by intradermal route in healthy subjects”.

Genexine Consortium

• The type of the candidate vaccine of Genexine Consortium is DNA Vaccine (GX-19).
• The study is in Phase 1/2 clinical trial stage.
• The study published in the ClinicalTrials.gov, “A Phase 1/2a, Multi-center, Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Study to Investigate the Safety, Tolerability, and Immunogenicity of GX-19, a COVID-19 Preventive DNA Vaccine in Healthy Subjects”,  the study started June 17, 2020, and is estimated to finish on June 17, 2022. 

Bharat Biotech 

• Bharat Biotech’s type of candidate vaccine is Whole-Virion Inactivated.
• The candidate vaccine of Bharat Biotech is in Phase 1/2 clinical trial stage.
• In the study, “An Adaptive Phase 1, Followed by Phase 2 Randomized, Double-blind, Multicenter Study to Evaluate the Safety, Reactogenicity, Tolerability, and Immunogenicity of the BBV152 in Healthy Volunteers”, which was published under the ClinicalTrials.gov, the study which was started last July 13, 2020 is estimated to be done on June 30, 2021.

Novavax 

• Full length recombinant SARS CoV-2 glycoprotein nanoparticle vaccine adjuvanted with Matrix M is the type of the candidate vaccine of Novavax.
• Novavax’ candidate vaccine is in Phase 1/2 clinical trial stage. 
• According to the ClinicalTrials website, the study “A 2-Part, Phase 1/2, Randomized, Observer-Blinded Study To Evaluate The Safety And Immunogenicity Of A SARS-CoV-2 Recombinant Spike Protein Nanoparticle Vaccine (SARS-CoV-2 rS) With Or Without MATRIX-M™ Adjuvant In Healthy Subjects” that started last May 25, 2020 is estimated to be completed on July 31, 2021. 

Kentucky Bioprocessing, Inc

• Kentucky Bioprocessing, Inc’ type of candidate vaccine is RBD-based.
• Kentucky Bioprocessing, Inc candidate vaccine is in the Phase 1/2 clinical trial stage. 
• The “A Phase I/II, First-in-human, Observer-blinded, Randomized, Placebo-controlled, Parallel-Group Study to Evaluate the Safety and Immunogenicity of KBP-COVID-19 Vaccine in Healthy Seronegative Adults Aged 18-49 and 50-70” published in the ClinicalTrials.gov is estimated to start by July 31, 2020 and estimated to be completed on November 23, 2021. 

Arcturus/Duke-NUS

• mRNA is Arcturus/Duke-NUS’ type of candidate vaccine. 
• Arcturus/Duke-NUS candidate vaccine is in the Phase 1/2 clinical trial stage. 
• The study, “A Phase 1/2 Randomised, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled, Ascending Dose Study to Assess the Safety, Tolerability, and Immunogenicity of ARCT-021 in Healthy Adult Subjects”, published in the ClinicalTrials is estimated to start on July 2020 and estimated to be completed on January 2021. 

Candidate COVID-19 Vaccine in Phase 1 Clinical Trials

Gamaleya Research Institute 

• The type of candidate vaccine of the Gamaleya Research Institute is Adeno-based.
• The candidate vaccine is in Phase 1 clinical trial stage.
• The study of the candidate vaccine which is the “An Open Study of the Safety, Tolerability and Immunogenicity of the Drug “Gam-COVID-Vac”, published in the ClinicalTrials.gov website, a Solution for Intramuscular Injection With the Participation of Healthy Volunteers” started June 17, 2020 and is estimated to be finished by August 15, 2020.

Clover Biopharmaceuticals Inc./GSK/Dynavax

• Native like Trimeric subunit Spike Protein vaccine is Clover Biopharmaceuticals Inc./GSK/Dynavax type of candidate vaccine.
• Clover Biopharmaceuticals Inc./GSK/Dynavax candidate vaccine is in the Phase 1 clinical trial stage. 
• The study “A Phase 1, Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, First-in-human Study to Evaluate the Safety and Immunogenicity of SCB 2019, a Recombinant SARS-CoV-2 Trimeric S Protein Subunit Vaccine for COVID-19 in Healthy Volunteers”, published in the ClinicalTrials.gov website, started June 19, 2020 is estimated to be done on March 30, 2021.

Vaxine Pty Ltd/Medytox 

• Recombinant spike protein with Advax™ adjuvant is the type of the candidate vaccine of Vaxine Pty Ltd/Medytox . 
• The clinical trial stage of the candidate vaccine is in Phase 1.
• According to the ClinicalTrials.gov website, the study “A Randomised, Controlled, Phase 1 Study to Evaluate the Safety and Immunogenicity of a Candidate Adjuvanted Recombinant Protein SARS-COV-2 Vaccine in Healthy Adult Subjects” started June 30, 2020 and estimated to be finished by July 1, 2021. 

University of Queensland/CSL/Seqirus

• University of Queensland/CSL/Seqirus’ type of candidate vaccine is Molecular clamp stabilized Spike protein with MF59 adjuvant.
• The University of Queensland/CSL/Seqirus’ candidate vaccine is in Phase 1 clinical trial stage.
• The Phase 1 study is called “An interventional study to evaluate the safety and immune response of a vaccine against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 infection) when given to healthy adult participants” according to the ANZCTR website.

Imperial College London

• LNP-nCoVsaRNA is the Imperial College London’ type of candidate vaccine.
• The candidate vaccine is in Phase 1 clinical trial stage.
• In the study published in the ISRCTNregistry website which is the “A first-in-human clinical trial to assess the safety and immunogenicity of a self-amplifying ribonucleic acid (saRNA) vaccine encoding the S glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19”, the study will start from April 2020 until July 2021.

Curevac

• mRNA is the type of Cureva’s candidate vaccine.
• Curevac’s candidate vaccine is in Phase 1 clinical trial stage.
• In the ClinicalTrials.gov website, the study “A Phase 1, Partially Blind, Placebo-controlled, Dose-escalation, First-in-human, Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Safety, Reactogenicity and Immunogenicity After 1 and 2 Doses of the Investigational SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccine CVnCoV Administered Intramuscularly in Healthy Adults” started June 18, 2020 and estimated to be done by August 2021.

People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Academy of Military Sciences/Walvax Biotech

• People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Academy of Military Sciences/Walvax Biotech’ type of candidate vaccine is mRNA.
• The candidate vaccine is in Phase 1 clinical trial stage.
• The study of the candidate vaccine’s Phase 1 is “A Phase I clinical trial to evaluate the safety, tolerance and preliminary immunogenicity of different doses of a SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine in population aged 18-59 years and 60 years and above.”, according to the ChiCTR website.

Medicago Inc

• Medicago Inc’ type of candidate vaccine is Plant-derived VLP adjuvanted with GSK or Dynavax adjs.
• Medicago Inc’s candidate vaccine is in Phase 1 clinical trial stage.
• The study “A Randomized, Partially-Blinded, Dose-Ranging Phase 1 Study to Assess the Safety, Tolerability, and Immunogenicity of a Recombinant Coronavirus-Like Particle COVID 19 Vaccine in Adults 18-55 Years of Age”, published in the ClinicalTrials.gov website, started July 10, 2020, and estimated to be finished on April 30, 2021.

Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corporation/NIAID/Dynavax

• S-2P protein + CpG 1018 is Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corporation/NIAID/Dynavax type of candidate vaccine.
• Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corporation/NIAID/Dynavax candidate vaccine clinical trial stage is in Phase 1.
• The study, “A Phase I, Prospective, Open-Labeled Study to Evaluate the Safety and Immunogenicity of MVC-COV1901”, which was published in the ClinicalTrials.gov website, the study is estimated to start on September 1, 2020 and on December 31, 2021 the study is estimated to be finished.

139 Candidates of COVID-19 Vaccine in Pre-clinical Evaluation 

Here are the following developers of the COVID-19 Vaccines under pre-clinical evaluation listed in WHO’s Draft Landscape of COVID-19 Candidate Vaccines: 

• Ege University
• Scancell/University of Nottingham/ Nottingham Trent University
• National Research Centre, Egypt 
• Karolinska Institute / Cobra Biologics ( OPENCORONA Project)
• Chula Vaccine Research Center 
• Takis/Applied DNA Sciences/Evvivax
• Immunomic Therapeutics, Inc./EpiVax, Inc./PharmaJet
• BioNet Asia
• Mediphage Bioceuticals/University of Waterloo 
• Entos Pharmaceuticals
• Symvivo
• KM Biologics
• Selcuk University
• Erciyes University
• National Research Centre, Egypt
• Beijing Minhai Biotechnology Co., Ltd
• Osaka University/ BIKEN/ NIBIOHN
• Sinovac/Dynavax
• Valneva/Dynavax 
• Research Institute for Biological Safety Problems, Rep of Kazakhstan
• Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University / Acıbadem Labmed Health Services A.S
• Codagenix/Serum Institute of India 
• Indian Immunologicals Ltd/Griffith University
• ID Pharma
• Ankara University
• Massachusetts Eye and Ear/Massachusetts General Hospital/AveXis
• GeoVax/BravoVax
• Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies 
• ReiThera/LEUKOCARE/Univercells
• DZIF – German Center for Infection Research/IDT Biologika GmbH
• IDIBAPS-Hospital Clinic, Spain
• Altimmune
• Erciyes University
• ImmunityBio, Inc. & NantKwest, Inc
• Greffex
• Stabilitech Biopharma Ltd
• Valo Therapeutics Ltd
• Vaxart 
• Centro Nacional Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Spain
• University of Manitoba 
• University of Georgia/University of Iowa 
• Bharat Biotech/Thomas Jefferson University 
• National Research Centre, Egypt
• National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC) /GPO, Thailand
• Mynvax
• Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center
• Bogazici University
• University of Virginia 
• Helix Biogen Consult, Ogbomoso & Trinity Immonoefficient Laboratory, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria
• National Research Centre, Egypt
• University of San Martin and CONICET, Argentina
• Chulalongkorn University/GPO, Thailand
• AdaptVac (PREVENT-nCoV consortium) 
• ExpreS2ion
• IMV Inc
• WRAIR/USAMRIID
• National Institute of Infectious Disease, Japan/Shionogi/UMN Pharma
• Osaka University/ BIKEN/ National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Japan
• Univ. of Pittsburgh
• Vaxil Bio
• Biological E Ltd
• Flow Pharma Inc
• AJ Vaccines
• Generex/EpiVax
• EpiVax/Univ. of Georgia 
• EpiVax
• Sanofi Pasteur/GSK
• Heat Biologics/Univ. Of Miami 
• FBRI SRC VB VECTOR, Rospotrebnadzor, Koltsovo
• FBRI SRC VB VECTOR, Rospotrebnadzor, Koltsovo 
• Baylor College of Medicine
• iBio/CC-Pharming
• Saint-Petersburg scientific research institute of vaccines and serums
• Innovax/Xiamen Univ./GSK
• VIDO-InterVac, University of Saskatchewan
• OncoGen 
• MIGAL Galilee Research Institute
• LakePharma, Inc.
• Baiya Phytopharm/ Chula Vaccine Research Center
• Quadram Institute Biosciences
• BiOMViS Srl/Univ. of Trento
• Lomonosov Moscow State University
• University of Alberta 
• AnyGo Technology 
• Yisheng Biopharma 
• Vabiotech
• Applied Biotechnology Institute, Inc
• Axon Neuroscience SE 
• MOGAM Institute for Biomedical Research, GC Pharma 
• Neovii/Tel Aviv University
• Intravacc/Epivax
• Intravacc/Epivax 
• ImmunoPrecise/LiteVax BV
• KU Leuven
• Cadila Healthcare Limited
• Institute Pasteur/Themis/Univ. of Pittsburg Center for Vaccine Research/Merck 
• FBRI SRC VB VECTOR, Rospotrebnadzor, Koltsovo
• DZIF – German Center for Infection Research/CanVirex AG 
• Tonix Pharma/Southern Research
• BiOCAD and IEM
• FBRI SRC VB VECTOR, Rospotrebnadzor, Koltsovo 
• Fundação Oswaldo Cruz and Instituto Buntantan 
• University of Hong Kong
• IAVI/Merck 
• University of Western Ontario
• Aurobindo 
• FBRI SRC VB VECTOR, Rospotrebnadzor, Koltsovo
• Israel Institute for Biological Research/Weizmann Institute of Science
• UW–Madison/FluGen/Bharat Biotech
• Intravacc/ Wageningen Bioveterinary Research/Utrecht Univ
• The Lancaster University, UK
• Gennova
• Selcuk University 
• Translate Bio/Sanofi Pasteur
• CanSino Biologics/Precision NanoSystems
• Fudan University/ Shanghai JiaoTong University/RNACure Biopharma
• Fudan University/ Shanghai JiaoTong University/RNACure Biopharma 
• Centro Nacional Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Spain 
• University of Tokyo/ Daiichi-Sankyo 





• BIOCAD 
• RNAimmune, Inc
• FBRI SRC VB VECTOR, Rospotrebnadzor, Koltsovo
• China CDC/Tongji University/Stermina
• Chula Vaccine Research Center/University of Pennsylvania 
• eTheRNA 
• Greenlight Biosciences 
• IDIBAPS-Hospital Clinic, Spain
• Bezmialem Vakif University 
• Middle East Technical University
• VBI Vaccines Inc.
• IrsiCaixa AIDS Research/IRTA-CReSA/Barcelona Supercomputing Centre/Grifols
• Mahidol University/ The Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO)/Siriraj Hospital 
• Navarrabiomed, Oncoimmunology group 
• Saiba GmbH 
• Imophoron Ltd and Bristol University’s Max Planck Centre
• Doherty Institute
• OSIVAX
• ARTES Biotechnology
• Univ. of Sao Paulo 

Source:WHO, ISRCTNregistry, ClinicalTrials.gov, ChiCTR, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ANZCTR, DRAFT landscape of COVID-19 candidate vaccines