
NTV Online Desk
September 24, 2020, 10:25 p.m.
Updated: September 24, 2020, 10:28

Johnson & Johnson has started a big trial of the novel coronavirus vaccine. Symbolic image
Johnson & Johnson has started a large-scale trial of the Covid-19 vaccine after Modern Biotech, Pfizer-Bioentech. About 70,000 volunteers are being vaccinated, said Paul Stoffels, chief scientific officer of the company's vaccine group.
Paul, a Johnson & Johnson scientist, claims that once the vaccine is given, it will build up immunity. Volunteers will be given a single dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccine, he said. And the dose has been adjusted in such a way that a single shot produces enough antibodies in the body. This dose will also activate T-lymphocyte cells in the blood, scientists say. These T-cells can destroy infected cells, including viral strains. When T-cells are active, strong disease resistance is created in the body.
The vaccine is being developed by Johnson & Johnson's research wing, Janssen Pharmaceutical Company, in a joint venture with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority. Alex Gorsky, the agency's chief executive officer, said the laboratory had found safety benefits of the vaccine in animals (testing whether it was safe). Since then, large-scale trials have begun in the United States with the approval of the Drug Regulatory Committee. Johnson & Johnson has begun preparations for a dose of about 1 billion vaccines under an agreement with the US government.
Work on the Covid-19 vaccine has been underway since last January. Johnson & Johnson created the vaccine candidate in collaboration with professors and researchers at Harvard Medical School. The researchers said that the vaccine candidate is being developed by inactivating the spike protein of SARS-COV-2 virus and purifying it in a special way in the laboratory. When it enters the human body, that inactive viral protein will produce 'memory B cells'. The function of this memory B cell is to identify viral proteins or antigens that enter the body from the outside and help make antibodies to them. T-cells will be activated as well. Scientists say that in this way the body will develop immunity against the virus.
There is a strong competition in the United States as to who will bring the coronavirus vaccine first, modern biotech or Pfizer. The top two pharmaceutical companies in the United States are in the third phase of their vaccine trials. Both companies claim that their vaccines have been effective. Modern Biotechnology is currently conducting the third largest trial in the United States. More than 30,000 volunteers in the United States are being vaccinated. According to Modern, the trial report of the third episode is getting better and better. However, the biggest news is that the body of people over the age of 50 is producing enough antibodies in the dose of the vaccine. In some cases, a few older volunteers have higher levels of antibodies to the virus than younger ones.
On the other hand, Pfizer said that the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine has been ensured in collaboration with the German company Bioentech. About 30,000 volunteers were vaccinated without any adverse side effects. Vaccine trials have now begun on more volunteers. The safety trial report will be submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory committee by next month (October). The vaccine will be released as soon as the FDA gives the green signal.