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U of S researchers working on coronavirus vaccine receive funding

Innovation Saskatchewan is providing researchers with $200,000 to help find a vaccine for COVID-19
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(Pixabay)

A University of Saskatchewan team at the forefront of coronavirus research is getting a financial boost.

Innovation Saskatchewan is providing researchers at the University of Saskatchewan with $200,000 to help find a vaccine for COVID-19.

The university’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization-International Vaccine Centre continues to search for a vaccine. The team previously worked on vaccines for SARS and the Zika virus. 

The Saskatoon lab is one of the few research facilities with regulatory approval to work on the new virus.

“Saskatchewan’s infectious disease researchers are among the best in the world and our government is proud to support their efforts in the development of a vaccine to protect against COVID-19,” Minister Responsible for Innovation Saskatchewan Tina Beaudry-Mellor said in a press release.

U of S researchers are evaluating the safety and efficiency of potential vaccines and medications to reduce the ability of the virus to multiply. Both are key requirements for regulatory approval of new medicines.

Within a matter of weeks the team will know if an effective vaccine has been developed. If animal trials are successful, clinical testing on humans would take place as soon as possible.

The team is collaborating with the World Health Organization and researchers in several different countries. Earlier this month, they received a grant from Canadian federal funding agencies as part of a $26.7 million rapid research initiative.

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