According to Professor Kusnandi Rusmil, a senior researcher at Bandung’s Padjadjaran University, human trials on a potential coronavirus vaccine (Sinovac Vaccine) are planned to commence next week in Indonesia under the collaboration of state-owned pharmaceutical company Bio Farma and China’s Sinovac Biotech Ltd.
He added, “The phase 3 clinical trial is set to begin on Aug. 11 and will involve 1,620 volunteers aged between 18 and 59. Half of the participants will receive the vaccine over a six-month period, while the rest will receive a placebo.”
As of Wednesday, the country reported 116,871 coronavirus infections and 5,432 cases of deaths due to the virus which is the highest in East Asia.
Erick Thohir, Indonesia’s minister for state-owned enterprises, this week, said that Bio Farma would likely be ready by year-end following which around 250 million doses annually would be manufactured, provided the Sinovac vaccine (trail) is proven to be successful.