'Turkey aims to have its own vaccine by end of 2021'

ANKARA

Turkey is aiming to have its own vaccine by the end of 2021, the country’s industry and technology minister said on Monday.


Speaking at a Competitive Sectors Program event, jointly organized by Turkey and the EU, Mustafa Varank said Turkey will begin human trials of the domestic vaccine after authorization from the Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency (TITCK).

"For the three vaccine candidates -- inactive, VLP and adenovirus-based -- TITCK has received the applications", Varank noted.

Noting that the process will take a long time, Varank said there is a “vaccines war” in the world and that poor countries do not receive vaccines.

"Therefore, we know that the vaccine we will develop will be an important success in the fight against the pandemic that will continue for many years, and we are making preparations to share this with other countries."

He said that there are several projects in Turkish universities, adding: "For example, one of the professors in Kayseri is currently conducting the Phase 2 study of a vaccine candidate, and he is close to moving to Phase 3.”