Human trial for nasal Covid-19 vaccine set to start in Bangladesh

An under-trial powdered nasal Covid-19 vaccine made in Sweden will be tested on human subjects in Bangladesh soon.

Instead of the injection application, the vaccine in its powdered form needs to be sniffed through the nose and is claimed to be more effective than conventional vaccines, reports BBC.

The vaccine was invented by researchers at the University of Karoliska in Sweden.

Sweden's Immune System Regulation Holding AB (ISR) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Clinical Trials Limited in Bangladesh as a Contract Research Organisation (CRO) for human trials.

Bangladesh has been selected by ISR as favourable spot for human trial due to the initiative taken by expatriate Bangladeshi doctors, said Mugda Medical College Principal Dr Ahmedul Kabir.

Dr Kabir and Prime Minister's personal physician Prof Dr ABM Abdullah will serve as the CRO representatives.

''We have developed a research protocol and will submit it to BMRC for ethical permission later this month. It is hoped that the trial will begin next month (September)," said Dr Kabir.

The vaccine is planned to be tested on 180 Bangladeshi volunteers, all of whom are health workers, in phase-one of the trial. This test may be done at Mugda Medical College Hospital.

ISR also signed another MoU with Bangladeshi company Unimed on 6 July to produce the vaccine.

According to ISR's website, it has signed an MoU with Bangladesh for the production and supply of this vaccine.

If approved, Unimed will be able to produce 10 crore units a year that may increase up to 30 crores in the next 5 years. ISR will receive dividends and royalties from the sales.