Many of us are stuck in the confines of our home, eagerly awaiting development on a treatment for the coronavirus, so that the pandemic may end. Fortunately, some progress is being made, albeit slowly. CanSino Biologics, a Chinese vaccine company, was the first to develop a vaccine against the coronavirus. After 10 weeks, the results of the vaccine’s initial test were minimal, as only 75% of patients with a high dose, and 50% with a low/medium dose actually developed neutralizing antibodies, those that prevent infection. The vaccine is also plagued with problems. It was developed from Ad5, an adenovirus known for causing the common cold. As a result, participants had less antibody responses to the vaccine. While additional doses of the vaccine can overcome Ad5, this can be very dangerous. Additionally, 81% of participants experienced one major side effect, such as headache, nausea, and fever. While this vaccine may not be perfect, progress is being made, and many other companies such as AstraZeneca are developing their own vaccines. Read this article from C&EN for more details.
