A new COVID-19 vaccine being developed in Mexico is ready to enter the first phase of clinical trials, and officials say if all goes well, it could be approved for emergency use by the end of the year.
The head of Mexico’s science and technology council (Conacyt), María Elena Álvarez-Buylla Roces, said during a press conference Tuesday that volunteers are being recruited for clinical trials of the Mexican COVID-19 vaccine known as “Patria."
"What we're here to announce today is the beginning of clinical trials with volunteer patients," she said.
If trials are successful, Mexican officials could grant approval for emergency use of the shot by November or December, she said. That would reduce Mexico’s dependence on foreign vaccine supplies, and cut vaccination costs by more than 850%, according to Álvarez-Buylla.
The first clinical trial will include about 100 healthy adults in Mexico City and may begin later this month. Positive results would lead to a second phase in June and July, and a final phase in the fall.
Avimex, a veterinary pharmaceutical company, is leading the vaccine’s development in Mexico with financial support from the government.
