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The Institut Pasteur in France said on Monday it would end the development of a Covid-19 vaccine with US pharmaceutical company Merck after the results of clinical trials were disappointing.
The partners announced a link last May to develop a puncture based on an existing measles vaccine, which was introduced in Phase 1 clinical trials in August.
“In these first human trials, the prospective vaccine was well tolerated, but produced lower immune responses than those seen in people who had recovered naturally and those seen in authorized vaccines,” said a statement from the ‘Pasteur Institute.
The announcement marks a new blow to hopes for a vaccine run by France following recent news that national pharmaceutical leader Sanofi is also struggling to bring its vaccine candidate to market.
Sanofi announced in December that its puncture would be ready by the end of 2021, and the government is now being encouraged to help produce rival vaccines that have already been authorized for use in Europe.
These include products from the German-American association BioNTech / Pfizer and the American pharmaceutical group Moderna.
Britain has also authorized the use of a vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, which is being evaluated by European Union regulators.
The Pasteur Institute, named after pioneer scientist Louis Pasteur, who developed a rabies vaccine in 1885, said it was working on two other Covid-19 vaccines that are not yet ready for clinical trials.
The decision to drop the Covid vaccine based on a measles punch “has no impact on the continuation of the Pasteur Institute’s investigation into two other vaccine candidates using different methodologies,” he said.
(AFP)