Driven by the dream of the UAE leadership and the determination to resolve the pandemic by a regional joint initiative, Abu Dhabi Health Services (SEHA) has begun new clinical trials in Phase III of the COVID-19 Inactivated UAE coronavirus vaccine.
The trials are being performed under the supervision of the Department of Health-Abu Dhabi and in cooperation with the G42 Sinopharm CNBG.
UAE coronavirus vaccine clinical trials
“The variety of nationalities who call the UAE home. As well as the leading role that our leadership plays in tackling the virus in various countries around the world. They have made the country the perfect location for phase III clinical trials,” he said.
Al Kaabi commended the “overwhelming reaction” of the Emiratis and the people to the call for volunteers.
“The clinical trials attracted volunteers from more than 20 nationalities. Which is a positive sign of an increasingly viable vaccine,” he added.
Clinical trials for the vaccine
Dr Nawal Ahmed Alkaabi, CMO of Sheik Khalifa Medical City and Member of the National COVID-19 Clinical Management Committee, lauded the UAE leadership’s robust support for clinical trials aimed at delivering a safe COVID-19 vaccine and making it available to people in need worldwide.
More than 10,000 individuals have enrolled as volunteers. Registration is still available to volunteers involved in engaging in Phase III clinical trials of the COVID-19 inactivated vaccine in Abu Dhabi through the website www.4humanity.ae.
Up to 15,000 volunteers are required to participate in the experiment with a total of 5,000 participants in the first stage of the study to guarantee the robustness of the findings.
China-based pharmaceutical firm Sinopharm has conducted a Phase III clinical trial to test the COVID-19 vaccine candidate in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
The product will be the first inactivated vaccine in the world to enter a Phase III clinical trial.
The trial is being performed by Sinopharm’s China National Biotec Group (CNBG) in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Government and Abu Dhabi-based artificial intelligence firm G42 Healthcare.
Health practitioners from Abu Dhabi Health Services (SEHA) will be in charge of the clinical trials. Mobile clinics are also operating to ensure easy access for participants.
clinical Trials are promising
Sinopharm chose the UAE for Phase III clinical trials as the nation’s home to more than 200 nationalities, noted G42.
Sinopharm CNBG Biological Products President Jingjin Zhu said: “The United Arab Emirates is a country of creativity and diversity. Also home to people from every region of the world and from every ethnic background.
This may be early to rejoice. But the results show signs of progress. There’s a regional scramble to find a weapon that will combat COVID-19, affecting both large and small countries.
The day after the vaccine clinical trials started a lot happened. Oil prices fell by more than 3% (as of Tuesday, July 21, 2020. So did Asian stocks. Nasdaq also increased 2.51 percent, while Dow q was 0.03 percent and S&P was 0.84 percent at the end of Monday’s trading.
Citizens and people eligible to enter the clinical trials must follow strict criteria: must be over 18 years of age, safe. Also with no medical conditions and no history of infection with COVID-19. Those that apply can register on the trial website www.4humanity.ae.
Volunteers will receive two doses of the vaccine every three weeks. Also will have to attend regular follow-ups for one year.
