[SARS CoV-2 Vaccine studies currently in phase III]

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Immunology
• Vaccinology

Background:

• The SARS-CoV-2 virus caused the COVID-19 pandemic, declared in March 2020.
• The viral Spike (S) protein is a key target for vaccine development.
• The pandemic necessitated accelerated vaccine development timelines.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review studies preceding current Phase III COVID-19 vaccine candidates.
• To describe the main characteristics of these vaccine development studies.
• To understand the accelerated processes for vaccine development during a pandemic.

Main Methods:

• Review of scientific literature on COVID-19 vaccine development.
• Analysis of studies focusing on safety, immunogenicity, and protection.
• Categorization of vaccines into four main types: inactivated, protein-based, nucleic acid-based, and viral vector-based.

Main Results:

• Four main types of vaccines are currently in Phase III clinical trials.
• Accelerated development involves parallel evaluation of safety, immunogenicity, protection, antibody-dependent enhancement, and duration of immunity.
• The review synthesizes information on the pre-clinical and early clinical studies informing these advanced vaccine candidates.

Conclusions:

• Safe, effective, and immunogenic vaccines are crucial for controlling the pandemic and restoring normalcy.
• Multiple vaccine types are progressing rapidly through development.
• Continued research and parallel evaluation are key to rapid pandemic response.