The U.S. military will begin testing a military-developed Covid-19 vaccine among adult volunteers that researchers say can protect against a variety of coronavirus variants.
Army doctors plan to begin testing protein-based shooting on up to 72 adults ages 18 to 55 on Tuesday at the Walter Reed Army Research Institute in Silver Spring, Maryland, according to the institute. The team will test whether the vaccine safely induces the desired immune response in study subjects.
The initial results of the study could be available in the middle of summer. If the data is positive, the military would likely try to join a pharmaceutical company to test and develop the vaccine, said Kayvon Modjarrad, director of the institute’s emerging branch of infectious diseases.
The experimental plan is among dozens in development, many aimed at improving the available plans. According to BioCentury, which tracks efforts, there are about 229 vaccine trials in humans.
Army researchers say their vaccine was protective in studies of monkeys that were exposed to the coronavirus.