A corona vaccine is in demand. Angela Merkel recently dampened expectations. Horst Seehofer was now picking up completely different tones.
- Research groups and pharmaceutical giants are looking for a vaccine against the Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus . A race has started.
- Two possible vaccines from Germany currently give hope (see update from May 26, 7:12).
- China reports a “milestone” in research: For the first time, a vaccine tested on humans has shown success (update from May 22, 5.44 p.m.).
- Here you will find the basic facts about the corona virus * and the corona news from Germany. You can also find current case numbers in Germany here as a map *. The following recommendations for Corona protective measures * are currently available.
Update of June 6, 2020, 11:38 a.m .: Horst Seehofer (CSU) raised hopes of a corona vaccine later this year . In doing so, he contradicted Chancellor Merkel's statements on Thursday, which significantly dampened expectations (see below). The development of a vaccine is the most important factor in overcoming the pandemic, Seehofer told the newspapers of the Funke media group (Saturday editions). "It is said that this can be achieved by the end of the year. I hope that it may also go faster," said the Interior Minister. He refused to be vaccinated.
He was convinced that "the vast majority of citizens would like to be vaccinated," said Seehofer, referring to the debate about a possible corona vaccination requirement. "I'm not in favor of requiring vaccination," he said.
Seehofer also announced a reform of the Federal Office for Civil Protection, which has so far only been able to intervene solely in the event of tension and defense. He would shortly speak to the head of the agency on how the office should be set up in the future. "I think that such an authority can help in the event of a pandemic or other disaster - forest fires, floods," said Seehofer.
Update of June 4, 2020, 7:47 p.m .: On Thursday, Chancellor Angela Merkel again dampened expectations of the soon development of a corona vaccine. You hope that it will be available soon. "But all experts tell us that nothing can be done under one year to 18 months," said the CDU politician on the ZDF program "What Now, Ms Merkel". In the end, the tests and trials should not be shortened in such a way that "new damage will occur".
Update of June 4, 2020, 4:59 p.m .: Work is currently underway worldwide on the production of a vaccine. But does it need this at all? A scientist denies this question - and presents a daring plan.
Corona vaccine: Two German agents give hope - test "in a few weeks"
Update of May 26, 2020, 7:12 a.m .: Apparently, Germany is also making progress in terms of corona vaccine *. The President of the Paul - Ehrlich - Institute - the Federal Institute for Vaccines - Prof. Klaus Cichutek, looks the same two German research projects "close to the clinical trial" . This was confirmed by Cichutek in the ntv show " Frühstart ".
Accordingly, both a preparation from the company CureVac and a potential agent from the German Center for Infection Research are promising. Cichutek therefore expects that his institute can approve the next clinical trial "in a few weeks " . The Paul Ehrlich Institute, which is responsible for the approval of vaccines in Germany, had previously only granted such approval to BioNtech.
Did EU research fail in the pharmaceutical industry? Study raises serious allegations
Update from May 25, 2020: The search for a vaccine against the coronavirus is a race against time. The calculation is simple: the more time passes, the less chance there is of completely defeating the virus. The fact that we obviously deprived ourselves of the now so valuable "time" good a few years ago sounds like a stair joke. But apparently the commercial interests of the pharmaceutical industry were too widely represented at the time, which is why the money preferred to flow into other projects. At least that is the accusation, which emerges from a report by the organizations Global Health Advocates and Corporate Europe Observatory.
Coronavirus: EU failed with proposal
Accordingly, the EU wanted to promote pandemic prevention as early as 2018. As part of the research project "Initiative for Innovative Medicines", IMI for short , the vaccine development should be accelerated. So that as little time as possible would be lost in the event of a pandemic. This should be done, for example, using computer simulations and an analysis of animal experiment models.
In general, the program is intended to strengthen drug research in Europe. According to the IMI website, the budget for the initiative is 5.3 billion euros . Half of the money comes from the EU, the other is provided by the European pharmaceutical companies (EFPIA). In the form of benefits in kind, such as providing laboratories.
Corona virus: Decision-makers are against it
In December 2018, however, the EU's idea of promoting pandemic prevention was rejected following a meeting between representatives of the pharmaceutical industry and the EU Commission. This is evidenced by an internal protocol. The decision at the time was based on the fact that there is already an alliance for the development of new vaccines . Your name: CEPI . Cooperation was affirmed, but a "co-investment" to support CEPI is "not expected immediately", the minutes say.
In addition, pandemic prevention at that time competed with other research topics such as tuberculosis, autoimmune diseases and digital health, explains an IMI spokesman in the "Guardian".
Coronvirus: project not financially interesting enough?
Global Health Advocates' Marine Ejuryan said the statement was for eyewash only: "It wasn't financially interesting for the pharmaceutical industry," she says. Accordingly, research topics are selected primarily from a commercial point of view. This is primarily due to the far-reaching power of the pharmaceutical industry. After all, six out of seven advisory groups in the last IMI program consisted almost entirely of representatives of the pharmaceutical industry. This included the group dedicated to infection control.
According to the report, the pharmaceutical industry has been dictating selected research areas for years. As early as 2015, research painted an almost identical picture. So diseases like malaria and AIDS are hardly promoted. The World Health Organization (WHO) says that they urgently need to be examined. The WHO statements are actually intended to serve as guidelines for the IMI initiative.
The study criticizes in particular that IMI subsidizes especially profitable projects for the pharmaceutical industry. As examples, she gives studies on Alzheimer's, cancer or diabetes. Although there is no question that extensive research must be carried out here, too, the study believes that the pharmaceutical industry would advance research in these areas without funding. After all, the piece of the cake was still big enough.
Coronavirus: Neutral instance is required
The umbrella organization of the pharmaceutical industry EFPIA vehemently rejected the allegations. Numerous projects from the program would contribute to the research of Covid-19 . The EU Commission recently approved an additional 72 million euros for the IMI program to find a vaccine. Now, in addition to the factor plays money and the time a major role, which is why the former IMI director Michel Goldman against the "Sueddeutsche Zeitung" declared: "There must be in the future a neutral body that expresses the interests of the pharmaceutical industry and public health in accordance . "
“Milestone” in corona research: vaccine tested on humans shows success
Update from May 22, 5.44 p.m .: Is this the breakthrough in research? For the first time, a possible vaccine against the coronavirus has been shown to be at least partially effective in human tests. The active ingredient Ad5-nCoV was found to be safe and well tolerated in the so-called phase 1 trial, according to a study published by the Beijing Institute of Biotechnology in the journal The Lancet on Friday. Above all, however, he generated an immune response to the Sars-CoV-2 virus in the human body. However, further attempts are necessary to find out whether this reaction also prevents infection with the virus.
"These results represent an important milestone," said institute professor Wei Chen, who was responsible for the study in Beijing. A single dose of Ad5-nCoV is therefore sufficient to generate virus-specific, neutralizing antibodies and a corresponding reaction of special defense cells (T cells) in the test subjects in 14 days. He advised that the results be interpreted “carefully”. "There is a promising vision for developing Covid-19 vaccines , but we are still a long way from a vaccine that is available to everyone," he said.
The virus can also be transmitted through breast milk, it has already been found in infants.
Federal government wants to protect vaccines "Made in Germany" from takeovers by foreign investors
Update of May 20, 3:33 p.m .: Companies that manufacture drugs and vaccines "Made in Germany" want to better protect the German government from takeovers of foreign investors. To this end, the foreign trade regulation is tightened. "The current Corona crisis shows how important medical know-how and own production capacities in Germany and Europe can be in crisis situations," said Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Peter Altmaier (CDU) on Wednesday in Berlin.
The United States is hardest hit internationally by the pandemic. US President Donald Trump now wants to tackle easing.
Corona vaccine from US company Moderna shows initial success
Update from May 20, 2020, 12:10 p.m .: To stop the coronavirus, research teams worldwide are looking for a vaccine. There are different candidates. One of them is based on mRNA and appears to be promising according to the first study data.
As reported by handelsblatt.com, the US biotech company Moderna has published encouraging interim results from a phase 1 study of its experimental vaccine against Covid-19. In the first eight patients, treatment with the specially developed vaccine mRNA-1273 actually resulted in an immunization.
Antibodies had formed in all subjects after two vaccinations. The concentration was at least as high as in recovered corona patients. The vaccine was well tolerated.
The US company sees itself on the right path, although only data from eight test subjects are available to date. The FDA has already approved a Phase 2 trial for Moderna. Phase 3 could follow in July.
According to Moderna, animal experiments with mice had also shown that vaccination with mRNA-1273 prevented the virus from multiplying in the lungs.
Corona vaccine: World Medical President calls for compulsory vaccination
Update from May 20, 2020, 6.15 a.m .: Frank Ulrich Montgomery, Chairman of the World Medical Association, has spoken out in favor of compulsory vaccination against the corona virus. "I was for measles vaccination. I am also here for a vaccination requirement, ”said the 67-year-old to the newspapers of the Funke media group .
Montgomery warned that if a serum against the virus became available in the future and some citizens refused to be vaccinated, they would pose a high risk to their fellow citizens who could not be vaccinated for health reasons.
The German government , on the other hand, once again emphasized on Monday that future corona vaccination should not become compulsory: "There will be no compulsory vaccination against the corona virus," said deputy government spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer.
Coronavirus: Vaccine to be tested later this year
Update from May 18, 2020: A potential vaccine against the coronavirus is to be tested in human clinical trials as early as 2020 . "The blueprint for the vaccine is ready. Now the vaccine for the clinical tests still has to be produced, ”said the head of the Institute of Virology at the University of Marburg, Prof. Dr. Stephan Becker , Munich's Mercury .
The vaccine candidate was led by Prof. Dr. Gerd Sutter developed by LMU Munich . It is a so-called vector vaccine based on the "Modified Vaccinia Virus Ankara" (MVA). The vaccine virus MVA was generated over 30 years ago at LMU as a vaccine against smallpox. The MVA viruses have been weakened so that they can serve as harmless vectors for other vaccines.
In the next phase, the vaccine will be tested for tolerance and stimulation of immune responses, according to Munich-based Mercury .
The vaccine is currently being manufactured by IDT Biologika in Dessau. Production is expected to be completed in about three months, so clinical trials can start in September .
The development of the new vaccine is much faster compared to previous procedures. It will not be available this year, however. "Development is a lengthy, arduous process, especially the clinical test for the admission of a candidate," emphasizes virologist Becker. "It won't work in a few weeks."
The preparation for the clinical trial has already started. However, the researchers are only allowed to recruit official test subjects for the tests after the Ethics Committee has given a positive vote. Interested parties can register now at info-covid@uke.de.
Corona vaccine: But no “America first” - Sanofi backs away after massive criticism
Update of May 15, 10:55 p.m .: The Federal Government wants to continue to work closely with the Netherlands in the search for effective remedies and vaccines to combat the coronavirus * . The health ministers of both countries confirmed this on Friday during a meeting in Nijmegen in the Netherlands, according to the Dutch news agency ANP.
Corona vaccine: Spahn welcomes partnership with neighboring country
"Until there is a vaccine, the joint search for innovative treatment methods is a necessity," Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn is quoted by the ANP. The Netherlands provides impressive examples of promising research, Spahn said after dialogues with scientists from the Radboud University Medical Center (Radboudumc).
Researchers * of the two neighboring countries are currently trying a long existing vaccine against the disease tuberculosis specifically in tackling the virus SARS-CoV-2 to modify . It is hoped that this will also alleviate corona symptoms and weaken the course of Covid 19 disease. This was explained by the Nijmegen scientist Mihai Netea . Spahn's Dutch counterpart Hugo de Jonge also thanked for the treatment of Dutch corona patients in intensive care units in Germany.
Corona vaccine: But no “America First” - Sanofi backs up after criticism
Update of May 15, 9.22 a.m .: The French pharmaceutical company Sanofi has caused a stir in Europe and France: If there is a possible corona vaccine , the United States should have priority. The USA was the first to support the company's research (see below). Now the pharmaceutical giant Sanofi is giving in. Corona vaccine should be available at the same time in all regions of the world, said Serge Weinberg, head of the board of directors, France 2 . Sanofi has various production options, reports boerse.ard.de . Some of them are in the United States , but more of them are in Europe and France .
[# COVID19] Serge Weinberg, President de @sanofi, était ce soir l'invité de @ France2tv pour réaffirmer que le vaccin contre le #coronavirus que nous pourrions mettre au point sera accessible au plus grand nombre. pic.twitter.com/wYYEfffKF5
- Sanofi France (@SanofiFR) May 14, 2020Someone who, according to many, plans to vaccinate everyone is Bill Gates . What is behind the conspiracy theories about the Microsoft genius?
"Several very good candidates" for Corona vaccines - Leopoldina expert for early human tests
Update from May 14, 9:25 p.m .: Worldwide, a vaccine against the coronavirus is searched. Only with the vaccine is it possible to return to the conditions before the pandemic, it is said. But the way until such a product can be administered in bulk is far - too far, says a high-ranking expert. Prof . Andreas Radbruch , corona expert and immunologist at the Leopoldina Science Academy , on whose advice Chancellor Merkel bases her decisions, now says the picture (article behind payment barrier): " There are several very good candidates for an effective vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 , and I assume that several will work very well. "
According to the report, Radbruch recommends that these agents should be tested faster on humans. "It currently takes so long because there have to be many test phases, as prescribed for every drug." At least for vaccines that are similar to established vaccines, there should be a shortcut, he says.
Radbruch does not see an increased risk from early tests. He looks at the self-experiment of the pharmaceutical entrepreneur Winfried Stöcker. The latter had had a substance made in his laboratory and administered it. After that, he says he is immune.
Radbruch would also inject this substance, says the immunologist: "We have known the principle of vaccination with so-called recombinant antigens for years. Hepatitis B, influenza vaccinations and others work the same way. I think the risk of such a vaccine not working is very low ”.
Coronavirus: Tübingen company CureVac reports vaccine success - fuss over Sanofi drugs
Update of May 14, 16:58: the deputies EU -Parlaments have advocated access to coronavirus - vaccine , if necessary, on so-called compulsory licenses to guarantee . Legally, it is possible to manufacture medicines and vaccines in the EU without the express approval of the original manufacturer, the EPP Group's spokesman for health policy, Peter Liese (CDU), emphasized in a plenary debate on Thursday. If a vaccine is first developed in the United States or China, the EU must do everything to ensure that the vaccine is actually available to all countries.
With compulsory licenses, European companies are likely to produce the vaccine without the patent holder's approval. This would then be compensated with a state-determined fee.
However, the WHO has a devastating corona forecast: "It is very difficult to predict ..."
Coronavirus: Tübingen company CureVac reports vaccine success
Update from May 14, 4:08 p.m .: The Tübingen biotechnology company CureVac published the first data on its coronavirus vaccine project on Thursday afternoon. According to this, the vaccine achieved positive preclinical results at low doses . The company also said, according to a report by n-tv , that the available data showed a "balanced immune response combined with the formation of a high number of virus-neutralizing titers (VNTs) and T cells". VNTs are a key indicator of whether the potential vaccine can cause a strong immunological response, which can then neutralize the corona pathogen. CureVac plans to start the first clinical studies with healthy volunteers in June .
Meanwhile, France stressed in Thursday's controversy over a possible US preference that a corona vaccine from French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi should be available to everyone . Elysée circles said that Sanofi Director General Paul Hudson's comments on United States priority would in no way be consistent with the ongoing cooperation between Sanofi and the French government.
Coronavirus vaccine: Macron wants to make a vaccine available to everyone
French President Emmanuel Macron is concentrating his efforts on a coordinated and multilateral response so that a possible vaccine is then available to everyone - there are no limits. There should be a meeting with Sanofi next week.
Update of May 14, 2:31 pm: Now the EU Commission has also commented on the announcement by the pharmaceutical company Sanofi that it will first deliver a possible vaccine against the coronavirus to the United States . The European authority requested distribution to all countries on Thursday . "The vaccine against Covid-19 should be a global public good," a spokesman said on Thursday. "Access to it must be fair and universal."
First report from May 14, 2020:
Paris - French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi has announced that it will offer a future coronavirus vaccine to everyone. Olivier Bogillot, the Group's French head, emphasized on Thursday on BFMTV : It was clear that the vaccine would be accessible to everyone. Statements by Sanofi general manager Paul Hudson had previously sounded a little different and caused a sensation.
Coronavirus vaccine is said to go to the United States first, according to Sanofi's director general
As the US financial news agency Bloomberg reported on its website on Wednesday, Hudson had made it clear in an interview that the US had priority over the vaccine . The United States would have been the first to support research. The agency also quoted the British Hudson as saying that the US government "has the right to the largest advance order ". Sanofi will "first" supply the United States because they "share the risk" in research *. According to Hudson, the head start could apply for several days or weeks.
The vaccine is not yet fully developed, but there is already a stir around the pharmaceutical company Sanofi. (Icon image)
© AFP / ERIC PIERMONT
However, Bogillot did not confirm on Thursday that the United States could get delivery priority after the vaccine was developed. It is true that the pharmaceutical company has started working with the US government, Bogillot conceded, according to information from the German Press Agency. He also stressed that the EU must also "effectively" help make the vaccine available. Bogillot also said, according to news agency AFP, that the company would not give the United States * a priority vaccine if the EU were "just as targeted" in funding its development.
Coronavirus: Sanofi has been working on the vaccine since April - and wants to accelerate the development
However, Hudson's statements caused criticism of the pharmaceutical company in France . It would be unacceptable for a country to have privileged access to a vaccine, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, Secretary of State in the French Ministry of Economy and Finance , told Sud Radio . In the meantime, Hudson has apparently also rowed back. One of the Sanofi Group's recent Twitter posts is once again focusing its statement on making the vaccine accessible to everyone regardless of their nationality.
Paul Hudson: "The COVID-19 vaccine will be made available to all citizens, regardless of nationality." Given the #COVID19 pandemic, Sanofi teams are mobilized to accelerate the development of a coronavirus vaccine. pic.twitter.com/se3szRpl12
- Sanofi Germany (@sanofiDE) May 14, 2020Sanofi has been working with the British pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline since April to find a vaccine . However, tests have not yet started and a successful remedy for the virus should not be available until the end of next year at the earliest . Sanofi now said via Twitter that the company's teams are trying to accelerate the development of a vaccine. Your project is supported in part by the United States Agency for Biomedical Research and Development (Barda) . It reports to the United States Department of Health.
Coronavirus vaccine: Testimony from Sanofi director caused outrage in France
Sanofi announced on Wednesday evening that "production on US soil is primarily destined for the United States" and that the rest of the production capacity will be allocated to Europe, France and the rest of the world. However, the company committed to making the possible vaccine “accessible to everyone”. The aim is that the US, France and Europe * get the vaccine "at the same time" . In France, Hudson's statements caused outrage mainly because Sanofi had received tens of millions in research loans from the French state in recent years.
In an ARD broadcast, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas answers users' questions - one of them is torn apart violently on the Internet.
You can also read many previous news on the development of coronavirus vaccines at Merkur.de *. For example, vaccine testing began in the UK in late April. You can find more information in the video below.
An international study gives hope that there will be further developments in drug research soon. For the first time, she has deciphered the relationships between severe Covid 19 courses.
* Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network.
cia with dpa and AFP
List of rubric lists: © dpa / Carsten Koall
