Johnson & Johnson Start Phase 1 Clinical Trial of Ebola Vaccine

US pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson has started human trials on a possible vaccine against Ebola. The company is hoping to move on to studies on large groups of patients by April.

The Oxford Vaccine Group at Britain's Oxford University is carrying out Phase I testing of the Ebola vaccine. 72 healthy volunteers are part of the test that will examine how their bodies tolerate the potential vaccine.

Johnson & Johnson said, "At the end of October we would spend up to $200 million to speed up and expand our Ebola vaccine program. We have already produced more than 400,000 doses, and two million courses will be ready by the year end. If necessary we can make five million doses within 12 to 18 months."

Source: Medindia