Israel Expands Second Phase of COVID Vaccine Trials in Georgia

A shipment of 1,125 BriLife vaccine vials was sent over the weekend from Israel to Georgia, where the second phase of clinical trials for the Israel-developed BriLife Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine is taking place, the Defense Ministry announced Sunday.

The Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR), which is developing the vaccine, and international pharma company NRx Pharmaceuticals signed an agreement on collaboration on the second phase trials in Georgia.

The clinical trials in Georgia will take place simultaneously with the recruitment of volunteers and the completion of the second phase of clinical trials in Israel.

NRx pharmaceuticals is expanding the second phase of clinical trials abroad to increase the statistical sample and prepare the regulatory file necessary to approve further trials, the Ministry of Defense explained.

Some 40% of Georgia’s population has been fully vaccinated with other vaccines.

The first phase of the trial began in November 2020 Sunday with two volunteers and expanded to 80 people.

The third phase is a large-scale trial to test the effectiveness of the vaccine with the participation of up to 30,000 volunteers.

The vaccine was named “Brilife.” Br is the beginning of the word briyut in Hebrew, which means health, il stands for the State of Israel, and the third part is the word life.

The IIBR aims to produce 15 million doses once the development is completed.