1st batch of experimental vaccine arrives Liberia

monjola sotubo

January 24, 2015 11:38 AM

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced on Friday, January 23, that the vaccine would arrive in Liberia later the same day.

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has sent the first batch of its experimental Ebola vaccine to Liberia.

The pharmaceutical giant announced on Friday, January 23, that the vaccine would arrive in Liberia later the same day.

The shipment, which consists of 300 vials of the vaccine, is the first of such to arrive in any of the three worst-affected West African countries, GSK said in a statement.

The vaccine will be used in large-scale trials in coming weeks and health workers helping to care for Ebola patients will be among the first to get it.

"The initial phase 1 data ... is encouraging and gives us confidence to progress to the next phases of clinical testing which will involve the vaccination of thousands of volunteers, including frontline healthcare workers,"Moncef Slaoui, GSK's Global Vaccines chief said.

The vaccine was developed by the US National Institutes of Health and Okairos, a biotechnology firm owned by GSK.

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