Dutch company Janssen Vaccines has entered into its large-scale coronavirus testing phase.
Janssen is a subsidiary of the larger US company, Johnson & Johnson (so, Johnson, Johnson & Janssen?) The company has been developing the vaccine in Leiden, and testing has begun on 60,000 volunteers in the United States, South Africa, and parts of South America, reports NOS. It’s one of six vaccines that have been reserved for development by the EU.
Either the vaccine or a placebo will be distributed among participants aged 18 and older in countries where the virus is particularly prominent. The testing will show whether the vaccine has the intended result, and what any side effects may be.
Next steps
This is considered the third phase of testing, and several other companies have also reached this phase. Results will not be released until early next year, but if they are favourable Janssen will be ready — the company has already begun producing the vaccine. Negotiations are taking place regarding 200 – 400 million vaccines to be made available to the EU next year.
An additional study will be taking place in the UK, where the company plans to administer a double dose of the vaccine to volunteers.
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Feature Image: Abuzer van Leeuwen/Supplied