TEHRAN: Iran this week announced the start of production of local Coronavirus vaccine as it entered Phase 3 of human trials, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.
According to a statement by Iran’s scientific committee to combat COVID-19, the COV-Iran Barekat vaccine has received the code of ethics and entered the phase of clinical studies.
A ministry spokesman said one million doses of the vaccine will be delivered to the Iranian Health Ministry within one month.
He said a further 3 to 3.5 million doses of the local vaccine will be produced by June, with production to reach 50 million doses by the end of September.
The vaccine is recombinant protein-based manufactured by Sinagen Research and Production Company, Iranian Food and Drug Administration spokesman, Dr Kianoush Jahanpour said.
So far, five homegrown vaccines have received the code of ethics and began the human trials, he further added, IRNA reported on Monday.
A second local Iranian vaccine, COV-Pars, entered the human trials phase on Feb. 28 on 133 volunteers, and a second phase of clinical trials will begin in early June with 500 volunteers.
Domestic vaccines
COVIRAN BAREKAT, the first Covd-19 vaccine made by Iranian researchers, started the third phase of the human trial in early May when it was administrated to 20,000 people.
Developed by researchers at the Headquarters for Executing the Order of the Imam, the vaccine was unveiled on December 29, 2020, and started mass-production in March 2021.
The Barekat vaccine has 90-percent efficacy, according to preliminary results, Iranian media reports said.
Meanwhile, a vaccine developed by the Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute (Razi Cov Pars) is expected to become the second Iranian-made vaccine to be administered among the population in early August. The clinical trial of Razi Cov Pars began on February 27.
Iran has also successfully completed the first phase of the human trial for Fakhravac, the third domestically developed COVID-19 vaccine, named after nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh (he was assassinated in November 2020 near Tehran). Fakhravac was unveiled and started the clinical trial on March 16.
The first dose was administered to the slain scientist’s son, Hamed Fakhrizadeh, who volunteered for it during a live TV show in March this year.
“Osvid-19”, the fourth domestic vaccine produced by Osvah Pharmaceutical Company is also undergoing human trials, which will also be available in early September.
The Islamic Republic is among the first countries which started developing a vaccine against Coronavirus, and is gearing up to inoculate the population of eighty million by September.
Exporting vaccine
Iran, despite decades of US sanctions, is working on the emerging technologies by focusing on domestic potential and talent, said Health Minister Dr Saeed Namaki.
From the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic twelve different Iranian companies working on the emerging technologies started their extensive scientific research to produce the COVID-19 vaccine but only five Iranian companies have so far become successful in starting the industrial scale production of the COVID-19 vaccines.
According to Dr. Kianoush Jahanpour Iranian companies have achieved the capacity of producing 20 million doses of vaccine per month from April, 2021.
Exuding confidence Jahanpour said that five countries, including two from Europe, have applied for import of Iran made vaccines.
Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now
Be Part of Quality Journalism |
Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast. |
| ACT NOW |
| MONTHLY | Rs 100 |  |
| YEARLY | Rs 1000 | |
| LIFETIME | Rs 10000 | |
