The coronavirus pandemic has led to countries across the world playing their part in the development of a Covid-19 vaccine. As people around the globe impatiently await some positive news, the world’s first WHO-listed Phase III clinical trial of an inactivated vaccine has officially kicked off in Abu Dhabi, stated a press release. H.E. Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Hamed, Chairman of the Department of Health, Abu Dhabi, was the first individual to participate in the trial, with the Department’s Acting Undersecretary, Dr Jamal Al Kaabi, following suit. The UAE government remains adamant in finding a cure to what has become known as the biggest challenge of the 21st century.
The world’s first Phase III trial is the result of a cooperation partnership between Abu Dhabi-based G42 Healthcare and Sinopharm CNBG, the world’s sixth largest vaccine manufacturer. The trials are being monitored by health practitioners from Abu Dhabi Health Services (SEHA) who are providing facilities at five of their sites in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain in addition to a mobile clinic to ensure the trials are easily accessible to volunteers participating in the programme.
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G42 Healthcare has worked extensively over the past few months to set up a massive laboratory to speed up the detection of the disease. From manufacturing essential PPE to conducting research into new vaccines and drug therapies to using its advanced AI capabilities to map and predict trends in the outbreak, the company has left no stone unturned. The reason UAE was selected as the top choice to conduct the Phase III trials for the inactive vaccine is because it is home to over 200 nationalities, allowing for robust research across multiple ethnicities and increasing its feasibility for global application on the success of the trials. The UAE Health Authorities have recently issued a permit for up to 15,000 volunteers to take part in the trials. G42 Healthcare and SEHA are working towards achieving a minimum of 5,000 participants in the first stage of the programme to ensure accuracy of the results.