Covid-19: Swiss nasal spray vaccine to enter clinical trials
A Swiss-led research consortium has partnered with Basel-based biotech company RocketVax to launch clinical trials for two second-generation Covid-19 vaccine candidates. This includes a nasal spray vaccine.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/jdp
Español
es
COVID-19: Vacuna suiza en aerosol nasal entrará en fase de ensayo
The research consortium, led by virologist Volker Thiel at the University of Bern, announced on Wednesday that it had signed a partnership with RocketVax to start clinical trials for new vaccine candidates. These are live-attenuated vaccines, which use a form of the virus that doesn’t make people ill but elicits an immune response. Such live vaccines have proven effective against other diseases such as measles.
The Swiss National Science Foundation, which provided funding for the development of the vaccines, said in a press releaseExternal link that the vaccines are intended to be available as a nasal spray, which simplifies administration. It should also be easier to transport and store because the vaccine remains stable at higher temperatures and can therefore be used in warmer climates.
More
More
Many Swiss could prefer wider vaccine choice, survey finds
This content was published on
The representative survey by research group Sotomo, reported in the SonntagsZeitung, was carried out in July, well before the introduction of the Covid certificate obligation this week. However, according to experts interviewed by the paper, it could be a sign that Switzerland’s vaccination campaign would be boosted by making available other jabs which don’t use…
The next step in development is to move to phase I clinical trials (out of typically three phases). If the clinical trials demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, the vaccine may be produced in Switzerland.
RocketVax was established in 2020 and is the product of a merger between start-up incubator Swiss Rockets and Gigabases, a biotech spin-off from the federal technology institute ETH Zurich.
The number of new coronavirus infections has risen in the past couple of days, reaching more than 36,000 on Wednesday. The weekly average infection rate is 20% higher than the previous week.
Testing for variants
On Wednesday Basel-based pharmaceutical giant Roche announced that its molecular tests can be used to detect and differentiate Omicron subvariants. This comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed growing concern about the spread of the BA.2 subvariant.
“It’s critical to quickly and accurately identify variants to inform ongoing research – including the ongoing development of therapeutics and vaccines. This can potentially stop or slow down the advancement of the disease,” said Thomas Schinecker, CEO of Roche Diagnostics, in a press releaseExternal link.
Roche specified that the specific testing solutions detecting variants are available for research use only.
More
More
Coronavirus: the situation in Switzerland
This content was published on
An overview of the latest Covid-related information in the Alpine nation.
How is your country dealing with the return of stolen artifacts?
Western nations like Switzerland often have to deal with the process of recovering or returning looted artifacts which have been illegally imported. What’s the situation like in your country?
What do you think Switzerland’s Alain Berset can bring to the Council of Europe?
The former interior minister is to become the first Swiss Secretary General of the Council of Europe – which issues should his five-year term focus on?
Sylvain Saudan, ‘skier of the impossible’, dies aged 87
This content was published on
The Swiss father of extreme skiing pioneered descents from the Alps to the Himalayas – and became the sport’s first star.
Hayek family buys additional Swatch shares for nearly CHF11 million
This content was published on
Following the acquisition of registered shares worth over CHF20.6 million on Monday, the Hayek family made another purchase on Tuesday.
Suicide capsule to be used in Switzerland this year, says euthanasia organisation
This content was published on
The organisation “The Last Resort” has confirmed that the suicide capsule Sarco is to be used in Switzerland. This should happen this year, it said.
Ukrainian children flown to Switzerland for cancer treatment
This content was published on
The Swiss air rescue service Rega flew two Ukrainian children with cancer to Switzerland from a hospital in Kyiv hit by Russian missiles.
Swiss Solidarity raises over CHF10 million for victims of extreme weather
This content was published on
The money raised will be used to help those affected by the recent storms and flooding in the cantons of Ticino, Graubünden, and Valais.
Swiss giant Roche given green light for lung cancer drug in Canada
This content was published on
According to a recent study, Roche’s Alecensaro reduced the risk of recurrence or death by 76% compared to chemotherapy alone.
Swiss luxury watch market hit hard by China-led slump
This content was published on
Sales of Swiss-made luxury watches are in sharp retreat as nervous consumers reconsider splashing out on expensive timepieces and demand slumps.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
While Switzerland struggles to vaccinate, Portugal is already finished
This content was published on
Nowhere are more people vaccinated against Covid-19 than in Portugal, where 98% of over 25-year-olds have had both doses.
Swiss pharma reckons with its past, present and future
This content was published on
This is the story of how making drugs helped turn a small, mountainous country into an industry titan, and what the pandemic means for its future.
Many Swiss could prefer wider vaccine choice, survey finds
This content was published on
The representative survey by research group Sotomo, reported in the SonntagsZeitung, was carried out in July, well before the introduction of the Covid certificate obligation this week. However, according to experts interviewed by the paper, it could be a sign that Switzerland’s vaccination campaign would be boosted by making available other jabs which don’t use…
This content was published on
Public health experts are cautious about lifting Covid-19 restrictions. One key reason is that we still can't test for our immunity to the virus.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.