Vaccine trials for the coronavirus are among 6 projects to receive a share of £20million.
2 of the 6 projects are focused on vaccination trials and will be the first to benefit from the investment.
The government backed projects will receive new funding for pre-clinical and clinical vaccine trials.
Also, the funding aims to provide support for researchers to develop manufacturing processes to produce a vaccine at a million-dose scale.
The funding will also go to other projects looking at how existing treatments could be repurposed to treat the virus.
Also, at how people at greatest risk of catching the virus could be identified.
Business Secretary Alok Sharma said:
“Whether testing new drugs or examining how to repurpose existing ones, UK scientists and researchers have been working tirelessly on the development of treatments for coronavirus.”
“The projects we are funding today will be vital in our work to support our valuable NHS and protect people’s lives.”
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said:
“In the midst of a global health emergency the UK is using all its extensive research expertise to quickly develop new vaccines to target this international threat.”
“This investment will speed up globally-recognised vaccine development capabilities and help us find a new defence against this disease.”
Human vaccine trials have already started in the USA and China with the UK close behind as reported last week here:
Vaccine Candidate Identified for COVID-19
Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty said:
“The world faces an unprecedented challenge in our efforts to tackle the spread of COVID-19 and it is vital we harness our research capabilities to the fullest extent to limit the outbreak and protect life.”
“Alongside the world-leading research overseen by the NIHR, these new 6 projects will allow us to boost our existing knowledge and test new and innovative ways to understand and treat the disease.”
