In an interview with the Persian news agency IRNA on Sunday, Dr. Mohamad Reza Salehi, the official leading the clinical trials of Iran's COVIRAN Barekat vaccine, stressed that "preliminary results show that about 90 percent of people who received two doses of the vaccine show evidence of immunity" to the new coronavirus, which causes COVID-19.
The Persian country began the first phase of human clinical trials of its first national coronavirus vaccine, COVIRAN Barekat, on December 29, 2020.
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All volunteers received their first injection by February 6, and the delivery of the second dose is expected to be completed in early March. As confirmed by the relevant authorities, there have been no side effects from the inoculation of the drug so far.
According to Salehi's statements, immunogenicity tests have so far been carried out on some 35 volunteers, and the results show that this vaccine has a higher efficiency than expected, which he highlighted as "very promising."
However, the specialist added, the second phase of human trials is expected to start before the end of the Persian calendar year, on March 20, and last until May.
Salehi explained that "most likely, the second and third phases will merge and, in the middle of this stage, preliminary reports will be submitted to the Food and Drug Administration."
Dr. Minu Mohrez, a member of the National Committee for Managing and Combating Coronavirus in Iran, said Sunday that tests conducted with COVIRAN Barekat show full effectiveness against the British strain of COVID-19.
COVIRAN Barekat is not the only vaccine developed by Iranian experts under the weight of unilateral sanctions imposed by the US on the country. Persian pharmaceutical companies are producing other drugs against the lethal disease, some of which are named Razi COV-Pars and Pasteur.