Japanese biopharmaceutical firm Anges Inc. said on Tuesday (local time) that it and partner Osaka University had completed development of a prophylactic DNA vaccine against the new coronavirus and that it would begin testing it in animals soon, Reuters reported.
There are now more than 350,000 cases of coronavirus infections globally and over 15,000 deaths.
Last week, China gave the go-ahead for researchers to begin human safety tests of an experimental coronavirus vaccine in the race to develop a shot against the COVID-19 epidemic.
Also last week, scientists in the United States began clinical trials in Seattle for a vaccine for COVID-19 developed by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the US biotech firm Moderna.
Public health officials say it will take a year to 18 months to fully validate any potential vaccine.
Previously, Medicago, a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Quebec City, Canada, announced it had successfully produced a Virus-Like Particle (VLP) of the coronavirus.
