- Several biotech companies have rolled out plans to develop vaccines to protect people against the Wuhan, China coronavirus, with support from global health groups and the US government.
- But vaccine development has historically been an arduous, multi-year process. None of the biotechs provided expected timelines to get their vaccines on the market.
- Previous infectious disease outbreaks, including for the Ebola and Zika viruses, show the challenges likely to face experimental vaccines for this virus as well.
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US health officials and global organizations are racing to respond to the spread of a deadly virus coming out of Wuhan, China.
One piece of that effort is enlisting biotechs to begin searching for an effective vaccine.
Several companies, including Moderna, Novavax and Inovio, have announced preliminary development plans. But a look back at recent history of other infectious diseases such as Ebola, Zika and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) show these vaccines have faced a challenging and lengthy path.
Anthony Fauci, the longtime director of the NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, estimated the first clinical trials for a coronavirus vaccine could begin before this summer, in an interview with the industry publication Biocentury.
"We likely will be able, unless there are unanticipated roadblocks, to start a Phase 1 trial in about three months," he said.
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The Wuhan coronavirus has now infected more than 630 people and spread to 9 countries. At least 18 people have died.
