The vaccine candidate Abdala against the coronavirus, developed by the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, showed an efficacy of 92.2% in the first analyzes of the third and last phase of clinical trials, state media reported this Monday.
“#Abdala vaccine candidate of @CIGBCuba, shows an efficacy of 92.28%, in its 3-dose scheme. #CubaEsCiencia,” indicated the laboratory in a Twitter message.
Abdala, one of the five formulas against SARS-CoV-2 being investigated in Cuba, is a subunit vaccine based on the receptor binding site (RBD) of the protein S of the virus, and has an application scheme of three doses administered 14 days apart.
The third phase of Abdala clinical trials began in mid-March in the eastern provinces of Santiago, Giantánamo and Granma, with the participation of 48,000 volunteers aged 19 to 80 years and under the international standard of multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled study already double-blind.
The announcement comes just two days after the scientific authorities announced that Soberana 2, the other vaccine candidate from Cuba that also finished its three phases of trials, reached an efficacy of 62% with two doses, of the three that contemplate the immunizers developed. on the island.
The first of the two to obtain such authorization would become the first coronavirus vaccine developed in Latin America.
“The effectiveness with three doses of Abdala will be an event that will multiply pride,” tweeted President Miguel Díaz-Canel, shortly before the news was released.
The World Health Organization (WHO) requires an efficacy of at least 50% for a candidate to be accepted as a vaccine.
The Cuban authorities have announced that in a couple of weeks they hope to ask the regulatory authority for permission for the emergency use of the vaccines.
The announcement comes at a time when the island is experiencing a strong outbreak of the disease. This Monday registered one of its worst days in terms of positive cases with 1,561, while since the beginning of the pandemic, 169,365 infections and 1,170 deaths have been recorded.
Both Soberana 02 and Abdala have already been administered to tens of thousands of Cubans under the figure of health intervention studies and in parallel to clinical trials. According to official figures, just over two million Cubans, out of a population of 11 million, have received at least one dose of these formulas.
Cuba is not a member of the WHO Covax Mechanism created for low- and middle-income countries to access vaccines, nor has it purchased them on the international market.
Under a US embargo since 1962, Cuba began developing its own remedies in the 1980s. Of the 13 vaccines in its immunization program, eight are locally produced.
With information from AFP and EFE
