Vietnam to start clinical trials of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine
The Hanoi Medical University will on August 15 start the first phase of clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccine ARCT-154, a mRNA vaccine developed by US company Arcturus Therapeutics, Inc, which transferred the technology to a company in Vietnam.
Hanoi (VNA) – The Hanoi Medical University will on August 15 startthe first phase of clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccine ARCT-154, a mRNA vaccine developed by US company Arcturus Therapeutics, Inc, which transferred the technology to a company in Vietnam.
According to the ministry, ARCT-154 is a self-amplifying mRNA vaccine designed to act against coronavirus variants, including the Delta.
The clinical trials will be carried out in three phases withthe participation of 21,000 volunteers, including 100 in phase one,300 in phase two and 20,600 in phase three.
On August 2, the MoH approved a proposal on human clinicaltrials of the ARCT-154 vaccine. The vaccine's production technology was bought by VinBioCare Biotechnology JSC, a subsidy of Vietnam's leadingmultisectoral conglomerate Vingroup.
VinBioCare has begun construction of a vaccine productionfacility in Hanoi’s Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park with total investment of more than 200million USD. The facility has a designed capacity of 200 million doses peryear.
The installation of equipment for the facility is expectedto be completed in November.
After completing the three-phase human clinical trial, VinBioCaresaid it would send the results to the ministry for approval for emergency useacross the country in December. The first batch of vaccines is expected to beavailable in early 2022.
ARCT-154 is the third COVID-19 vaccine put into humanclinical trials in Vietnam and the first developed with mRNA technology.
The first COVID-19 vaccine tested on humans is Nanocovax, aproduct of Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology JSC based on recombinantDNA/protein technology. The vaccine has gone through three phases of theclinical trials with more than 13,620 volunteers. Results from the first twotrial phases showed that all volunteers developed antibodies againstSARS-CoV-2.
🅰 The second vaccine, Covivac, developed by the Institute of Vaccinesand Medical Biologicals (IVAC), is expected to enter phase three in September2021./.
Vietnam’s second homegrown candidate vaccine Covivac began the second stage of clinical trials in the northern province of Thai Binh’s Vu Thu district on August 11 with the screening testing to choose qualified volunteers.
Vietnam may be able to produce a COVID-19 vaccine in September if everything goes smoothly, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh told scientists, units and businesses participating in vaccine production and research at a meeting on August 12.
Ho Chi Minh City, the current largest COVID-19 hotspot in Vietnam, has built a plan on intensifying pandemic fighting measures from August 15 to September 15, which is divided into two periods, from August 15-30 and September 1-9, with specific solutions designed for each periods, in order to realise the goal of putting the pandemic under control by September 15.
As many as 1,113,400 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City on August 13 morning, according to the Vietnam Vaccine Company (VNVC).
Despite storm-related disruptions and flight delays, the organs were successfully transported via a combination of air and ground travel. All patients are currently stable and recovering well.
The patient, Tieu Viet But, born in 1970 and residing in Binh Tri commune, Binh Son district, the central province of Quang Ngai, was working aboard fishing vessel Qng – 95657TS when the incident occurred at 7:00 am.
All drugs entering hospitals must have a clear origin, so counterfeit drugs are only in the market, not in hospital, affirmed Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan.
To achieve its goal of becoming a developed nation by 2045, Vietnam is prioritising the integration of AI and digital tools into the training of future doctors, said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Viet Nhung, Dean of Medicine at University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vietnam National University (VNU) Hanoi.
Health experts called for collective disease prevention and integrated solutions to achieve zero dengue deaths in the country at an online talk show on June 14.
The PM called for closer, broader, and more effective cooperation with Vietnamese partners, guided by the principles of mutual benefit, joint efforts, shared outcomes, and common development, including promoting stronger public-private partnerships and collaboration with businesses.
Renowned for its expertise in complex surgeries, the hospital has attracted foreign patients seeking treatment for conditions such as kidney and urinary tract stones, urological and gastrointestinal cancers, and male reproductive disorders. Most procedures are performed using advanced techniques, including laparoscopy and robotic surgery. T
Leading Vietnamese companies specialising in respiratory and dermatological treatments, traditional medicine, immune support supplements, and functional foods will have an opportunity to connect with international distributors and secure export deals.
The project aimed to enable early detection and reduce the risk of dangerous complications, targeting patients with chronic diabetes, cardiovascular conditions and metabolic disorders.
A 2023 report by the Vietnam Health Economics Association estimated that the total cost of tobacco-related healthcare and economic losses reached 108 trillion VND (4.14 billion USD) annually – equivalent to 1.14% of GDP and five times higher than the budget revenue generated by the tobacco industry.
All eligible patients will receive surgical interventions and post-operative care in accordance with Vietnamese medical standards and global care protocols.
Medical screenings and surgical interventions for children with disabilities are being carried out at health centers across Dien Bien. So far this year, 242 children have been identified for diagnosis, treatment, surgery, and the provision of assistive devices.
The Red Journey has become the country’s largest and most effective blood donation campaign, leaving a strong impression on the national voluntary blood donation movement.
This case marks the ninth fetal cardiac intervention conducted in HCM City, and it was considered the most technically demanding to date due to the fetus’s extremely early gestational age and the severity of the condition as diagnosed with aortic atresia.
The groundbreaking ceremony took place one day after the VNVC Vaccine JS Company and Sanofi Group exchanged cooperation documents on vaccine production technology transfer under the witness of State President Luong Cuong and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Vietnam’s traditional medicine took centre stage at the International Congress Biopharm Nonclinical Development, BioNCiD 2025, held on May 25-26 in the Cuban city of Varadero, amid growing global interest in sustainable healthcare solutions.
Under the agreement, VNVC and Sanofi will gradually implement technology transfers to enable domestic production of several key Sanofi vaccines that are widely used in Vietnam. In addition, Sanofi will support VNVC in training human resources and quality management in vaccine research and manufacturing.
Despite the ongoing global circulation and unpredictable developments of SARS-CoV-2, the World Health Organisation (WHO) hasn’t issued new warnings about COVID-19, said the Ministry of Health.
Illustrative photo. (Source: VNA)
