The German pharmaceutical company CureVac began Wednesday in Panama phase 2 clinical trials of a vaccine candidate against Sars-Cov-2, the most advanced in Central America, announced the Panamanian research center which is conducting the study.
"Two hundred and fifty people will participate in this phase in Panama,"
said a statement from the Cevaxin research center.
CureVac announced that trials will also be carried out in Peru.
The vaccine candidate will be evaluated
"by medical specialists over the next thirteen months to confirm the safety and adequate dose of the drug,"
said infectious disease doctor Xavier Sáez Llorens, who is leading the study.
The first results should however be known at the end of October, according to Cevaxin.
The volunteers, adults and not infected with the coronavirus, were recruited through advertisements in press organs and on social networks.
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The CVnCoV vaccine candidate is based on Arn messenger technology and must provide the body with information to build its own defenses against the coronavirus.
The third and final phase of testing of the vaccine candidate is scheduled to start in the fourth quarter with up to 30,000 volunteers expected.
CureVac is one of dozens of laboratories around the world competing for the potential vaccine against the coronavirus.
The European Commission has already reserved 225 million doses of CureVac's potential Covid-19 vaccine.
This is the fourth such agreement reached by the EU with laboratories.
The company was recently listed on the Nasdaq electronic exchange, with $ 150 million from funds raised to be used to finance the development of a vaccine against Covid-19.
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