KUALA LUMPUR: The Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry is in the process of conducting clinical trials on two vaccines produced in the country through the Malaysian Genome and Vaccine Institute (MGVI), said its minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba.
He said the two vaccines were the head and neck cancer vaccine or "nasopharyngeal cancer" and the cholera vaccine.
He added that the two vaccines would undergo clinical trials in the United Kingdom and India, as early as next year.
"We are also currently in the process of developing the Covid-19 vaccine which is being carried out by the Institute for Medical Research (IMR) in collaboration with Universiti Malaya.
"We are confident that through MGVI, Malaysia can become a vaccine production hub for domestic use and also for export abroad," he said in the 'Aspirasi Keluarga Malaysia' talk show produced by Bernama TV, here, today.
On Nov 1, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob launched the National Vaccine Development Roadmap (PPVN) and the MGVI to make the country a vaccine producing hub.
"MGVI will be a body that conducts coordination between experts, local and foreign industries, as well as the necessary talent development to be the backbone to vaccine development in the future," he had said.
Meanwhile, Dr Adham said the Covid-19 screening mobile device, i-Breath, which is now entering its final pre-clinical phase, is expected to be commercialised by June next year, after undergoing clinical trials.
"i-Breath will enter a clinical trial phase consisting of several phases for six months before it is completed and can be commercialised and marketed.
"We hope that the international market will get this device for their use because we are targeting the use of the i-Breath not only domestically but also internationally," he said.
The ministry has allocated a total of RM1.05 million in the development of the i-Breath device in collaboration with Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM). The device can detect Covid-19 with a sensitivity of up to 93 per cent by simply having to breathe using the mobile device. – BERNAMA