G42 Healthcare extends Phase III trials of COVID-19 vaccine in Bahrain

Abu Dhabi-based G42 Healthcare has extended the Phase III trials of an inactivated COVID-19 vaccine to a new centre in Bahrain with the first volunteers being vaccinated in the Kingdom.

The new phase of the #4Humanity trials will reinforce the ongoing collaboration between public health bodies in the UAE and Bahrain in combating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and increase the number of individuals who will participate in the trials.

In total, up to 6,000 volunteers are being sought for the new centre that will be the third in the ongoing trials after those in the UAE at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre in Abu Dhabi and Al Qarain Health Center in Sharjah.

This is an extension of the ongoing 4Humanity program by G42 Healthcare, the phase III clinical trials of the inactivated vaccine developed by Sinopharm CNBG in China that commenced in the UAE on 16 July.

G42 Healthcare CEO Ashish Koshy added: “It was always part of our original plan to open several centres to ensure the broadest impact and opportunity for individuals to participate and join the 4Humanity campaign.  There has been a hugely enthusiastic response from the Ministry of Health and other public health bodies in Bahrain to work with us on the trials and to encourage their communities to volunteer in the trials.

“The expansion will also help to boost the overall numbers of people participating in the test to enable similar numbers to other international trials underway in nations with much larger populations. We are also anticipating an expansion of our centre network in the UAE to be announced shortly.”

The trials began in Abu Dhabi on 16^th July and are being managed by G4 Healthcare in partnership with the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) and Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA). They are being conducted following the international guidelines stipulated by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States Food & Drug Administration (USFDA).

The Phase III clinical trials follow the success of the Phase I and Phase II trials conducted by Sinopharm in China, which resulted in 100% of the volunteers generating antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, after two doses in 28 days. The new centre for the Phase III trials is open to individual volunteers aged between 18 and 60 living in Bahrain and will last for six to twelve months, with the volunteers required to be available for follow ups during this time.