(The Canadian Press)

By Justin Goulet

Providence Therapeutics begins first phase of human trials for made-in-Canada COVID vaccine

Jan 26, 2021 | 8:55 AM

CALGARY, AB – A Canadian company is working to get their made-in-Canada COVID-19 vaccine approved.

Calgary’s Providence Therapeutics has announced that it’s begun dosing volunteers in human clinical trials of its vaccine. PTX-COVID19-B is a messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine and it is the first fully made in the country to reach this particular stage of development.

Participants in the trials will be monitored for a total of 13 months. However, the company said that there will be enough data accumulated by this April to move into Phase 2 in May 2021, pending regulatory approval.

The clinical study will be done in Toronto with 60 volunteers between the ages of 18 and 65 enrolled in Phase 1. Participants are divided into three groups of 20. Three different dose levels of PTX-COVID19-B will be administered together with a placebo in each group.

“We are thrilled to begin human clinical trials of PTX-COVID19-B. Having a made-in-Canada solution to address the global COVID-19 pandemic will augment the reliability of vaccine supply for Canadians, contribute to the global vaccine supply and position a Canadian company on the global stage as a contributor to the solution,” stated Providence Therapeutics CEO Brad Sorenson, in a release.

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“We would also like to extend our gratitude to the volunteers who have stepped forward to take part in this important clinical trial.”

The trials will observe the immunogenicity of the vaccine, as well as its safety for human use. Pending positive results, commercialization is estimated to begin at the end of this year or early in 2022.