The anti-Covid vaccine in the form of a patch will be tested starting from 10 January.
The tests will be carried out at Unisanté in Lausanne on 26 healthy volunteers.
The new generation vaccine, it is learned, works on a different principle from current vaccines and does not use messenger RNA. It aims to induce cellular immunity rather than antibody production, relying on T lymphocytes to clear virus-infected cells and prevent them from reproducing.
"This is a complementary vaccine to other existing vaccines. It does not intend to replace them," said Alix Miauton, head of the clinical trial. "The goal of the trial is to determine whether the vaccine is safe and does not induce serious side effects."
It starts on Monday 10 January and each of the 26 volunteers will be followed for six months. In the first phase, the vaccine will not yet have the form of a patch but will be administered using micro-needles of less than a millimeter. The first results will be available by June. If the Phase 1, 2 and 3 clinical trials give satisfactory results, the definitive vaccine will be available no earlier than 2025.
(Unioneonline / D)
