HO WAH Genting Berhad (HWGB) announced today that its wholly-owned subsidiary, HWGB Biotech Sdn Bhd’s joint venture partner, US-based E-MO Biology Inc, has obtained protocol approval from Advarra Inc, an institutional review board (IRB) to conduct a research study on the immune response induced by poliovirus vaccine booster that cross-reacts with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus.
HWGB chief executive officer Aaron Lim said: “This is great news indeed as our Covid-19 vaccine candidate is another step closer to undergoing the final phase of the clinical trial needed for it to be safe for human use”.
“We are following closely on the developments in this crucial venture of our healthcare business as we want to do our bit in helping to combat the virus that has affected the health of so many, including their livelihoods and income,” he said.
Advarra Inc is an IRB registered with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Under FDA regulations, an IRB is an appropriately constituted group that has been formally designated to review and monitor biomedical research involving human subjects. In accordance with FDA regulations, an IRB has the authority to approve, require modifications in (to secure approval), or disapprove research. This group review serves an important role in the protection of the rights and welfare of human research subjects. – Oct 14, 2020
