Coronavirus Latest: Montgomery County Pharmaceutical Company Continues Work On COVID-19 Vaccine, First Clinical Trial Volunteer From Philadelphia
PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. (CBS) -- A pharmaceutical company in Montgomery County continues its work on a coronavirus vaccine. The first volunteer for clinical trials is from right here in Philadelphia.
When CBS3 spoke with Dr. Joseph Kim some nine weeks ago, it was in person.
Now we're speaking remotely, about his company's battle to eradicate COVID-19.
"We're still fighting that curve and it's going to continue for the foreseeable future without a true vaccine," Dr. Kim added.
That coronavirus vaccine is just what his Plymouth Meeting company, Inovio Pharmaceuticals, is racing to bring to market. They are one of 70 companies worldwide that are working on vaccines.
"We're not really competing. Our true enemy is the virus," he added.
His company created one using DNA technology within 24 hours after the Chinese government released the genome on Jan. 10.
"We were able to race ahead and start our phase one clinical trials on April 6," he said.
That first volunteer, one of 40 in Pennsylvania and Missouri, is from right here in Philadelphia.
"At the University of Pennsylvania," said Dr. Kim.
If phase one of the study is deemed safe, Dr. Kim hopes to start a larger phase two study by this summer.
"Is it safe to say if all things go as planned by this winter, first responder and medical personnel in the U.S. could be getting the emergency vaccine that your company has created?" CBS3's Greg Argos asked.
"I think that is a high possibility," Dr. Kim said.
Then the manufacturing process must begin.
Coronavirus Latest: What You Need To Know And Staying Connected
"Our plan is to manufacture about one million doses by the end of this year," he said. "That's who we're fighting for -- for our kids, for our seniors, for our frontline health care workers, first responders."
Dr. Kim says if this timeframe holds, the vaccine would not be available for widespread use. Rather, it could be used on health care workers and the vulnerable.
He says a vaccine available for all Americans may not be ready until sometime in 2021.
