Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The candidate vaccine against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), developed by the Institute of Microbiology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has successfully passed a safety test in the early stages of testing. This opens up the possibility for further clinical research.

The results of the 1st and 2nd phases of trials carried out on healthy patients confirm the safety and immunogenicity of this recombinant subunit vaccine. To date, no serious side effects have been found, the institute said in a statement released on Friday, 30 October.

The vaccine, developed by the institute in cooperation with Chongqing Zhifei Biological Products Co., Ltd., was released on 19 June and received approval for clinical trials from the PRC State Drug Control Administration.

On 23 June, researchers began performing a phase 1 clinical trial for its safe use in humans. Volunteers aged 18 to 59 from Beijing, Chongqing and Hunan were given the vaccine in hospitals in Chongqing and Beijing. On 10 July, Phase 2 trials were launched to further evaluate the vaccine's properties, including its immunogenicity and safety.

According to the institute, the trials are randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials.

The vaccine has already been patented, and its developers are preparing for large-scale Phase 3 trials to assess its effectiveness.

To date, four Chinese vaccine candidates have entered Phase 3 clinical trials. This was stated by the official representative of the Ministry of Science and Technology of the PRC at a press conference in October.