A RESEARCH team in Bahrain has claimed to have deveoped a new vaccine against the coronavirus (Covid-19), which is pending clinical trial.
Legal proceedings are underway to secure the patent for the first-of-its-kind finding in the region, which is the result of a 14-month long scientific study by scholars at the Arabian Gulf University (AGU).
It was spearheaded by the AGU’s King Fahd Chair for Biotechnology academic chairman Professor Dr Mohammed Dahmani Fathallah.
Prof Dr Fathallah
The centre analysed the impact of the virus on 600 people who tested positive for Covid-19 through the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test.
“The result is amazing – we have developed a new vaccine against the virus,” Prof Fathallah told the GDN.
“The patent of the vaccine which will offer protection against Covid-19 and its variants is underway and we have registered with the American Intellectual Property Enforcement Office.”
He, however, added that the vaccine has been developed in the academic lab of the university and the industry will have to step in for clinical trials to ensure its efficacy in humans.
“Our research and development team has been working on this for almost 14 months,” said the biological sciences, genetic engineering and biomedical technologies specialist.
According to him, the team made the breakthrough by gauging the ideal immunity needed for people to resist the Covid-19 infection.
The volunteer-cohort under study included 80 per cent residents and 20pc citizens, who were either asymptomatic or had a mild form of the disease.
“We identified the part of the virus that affects the protective immunity layer of body cells,”Prof Fathallah said.
“We did this based on the hypothesis that once we identify the parts, a vaccine can be developed by molecular engineering to help create a good immune response.
“Our vaccine can be used in any technology – RNA, DNA or protein (traditional) mode.
“It is also effective against variants as it aims to develop immunity far away from the site from where the virus mutates.”
There are various technologies to inject the vaccine molecule into the body. Traditional vaccines, which expose the body to proteins made by a virus or bacteria, are often made by using weakened or inactive versions of that virus or bacteria. Whereas, in case of a DNA or RNA vaccine, a part of the virus’ own genes is used to stimulate an immune response – which means, they carry the genetic instructions for the cells to make antigens.
“For further studies on our vaccine, we need a P3 lab which is not available in the region – so we have to look for collaborations and hence the role of the industry is vital,” said Prof Fathallah.
A P3 laboratory is a containment facility that enables the isolation and manipulation of dangerous biological materials for research purposes.
The others on the research team were Dr Khaled Trabelsi, Dr Noureddine Ben Khalaf and Ahmad Ramadan.
AGU president Dr Khalid Al Ohali congratulated the team on their discovery.
“The huge impact of the pandemic on economic and social front prompted international universities to engage in research and collaborate with major drug companies,” he said.
“We are happy that the AGU joined these efforts and this development is in the right direction, as it is the need of the hour that we - the Arab and the Gulf countries - discover a vaccine against Covid-19.
“A vaccine which would fit the societal needs of the region,” he added.
There has been a global consensus on vaccines as a primary tool against Covid-19, with several countries actively involved in clinical trials, including Bahrain. The kingdom conducted the phase-three clinical trials of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine as early as in December last year which saw the participation of 7,700 volunteers.
raji@gdn.com.bh
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