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Japan to launch clinical trial of COVID-19 vaccine
TOKYO, June 17, 2020 (BSS/XINHUA) — A clinical trial of a potential vaccine for COVID-19 developed by a medical startup will start on June 30 in Japan, Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura announced on Wednesday, saying it will be the first clinical test on humans in the country.
In April this year, the prefectural and municipal governments of Osaka, which operate universities and hospitals in the western Japan prefecture, agreed with Anges Inc., a medical startup related to Osaka University to cooperate on research and development of vaccines for COVID-19.
Yoshimura told a press conference that the trial will begin from June 30, initially targeting 20 to 30 medical workers at Osaka City University Hospital.
If safety of the vaccine can be confirmed, the test will expand to hundreds of people by October, he added.
According to Yoshimura, it is possible to produce the vaccine for 200,000 people by the end of this year and they aim to apply for state approval between spring and fall of next year.
“Drugs and vaccines are important in dealing with the coronavirus, and Osaka has taken the first step. We will fight the virus, develop a vaccine, and protect people’s lives,” he said.
According to the latest figures from the health ministry and local authorities on Wednesday, the confirmed COVID-19 cases in Japan increased by 43 to reach 17,686, which excludes the 712 cases from the Diamond Princess cruise ship that had been quarantined in Yokohama near Tokyo.
Meanwhile, the death toll in Japan from the pneumonia-causing virus currently stands at 948, according to the health ministry, with the figure including those from the cruise ship.
BSS/XINHUA/IJ/2020 hrs