The world is finally getting back on its feet, and people are resuming their activities, but that does not hold back the significance of a vaccine because the vaccine to treat coronavirus is still very much in the process. Here is an infographic which provides information about all the necessary phases that lead to the final formation of a new drug.
Standard timeline of a new drug
If we talk about the US, the whole clinical process requires around 12 years to finally produce a new drug. To improve efficiency, this period is divided into small time periods where each one is allotted to a specific task. The first 3.5 years are spent researching and studying about the drug that is to be produced. The next 30 days are utilized in the investigation about the application of a new drug. The longest and most important phase is the phase of a clinical trial which takes around six years to complete as it includes hundreds of testing procedures, whereas the last phase is spent on its application and results.
Battle against coronavirus: The search for Covid-19 vaccine
To find the antidote of coronavirus, many researchers have already put themselves deep in the phase of a clinical trial. To fight this battle of Covid-19, currently, eight vaccines are in the clinical trial process while 19 are in the pre-clinical trial process. The clinical trials take the most time for completion because they are broken down into several phases. Each phase is responsible for critical monitoring of the new drug and its effects on the volunteers who are usually less in number.
Covid-19 vaccine will reach to the market in less than four years
Ever since the pandemic situation has become the new normal for the people, many experimental trials have lost their pace, and some have even died down due to lack of opportunities. The less enrollment rate of the volunteers is one of the many reasons why the continuation of these trial processes seems like a far-fetched idea. Nonetheless, the world still feeds on hope, and it is estimated that with better resources and mechanisms, Covid-19 vaccine will reach to the market in less than four years.
