In December 2020, almost exactly a year after Covid-19 began to spread, a key milestone in the fight against the disease was reached: the first vaccine dose was administered outside of a clinical trial.
A nurse originally from the Philippines, May Parsons, gave that ground-breaking Oxford-AstraZeneca shot to a woman in the UK, Margaret Keenan, 91.
That a vaccine had been developed, tested and approved for emergency use in such a short space of time was remarkable and credited, in part, to huge investments by governments especially.
While vaccines from Oxford-AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna were ready to go in rapid time, technical and commercial reasons mean that shorter lead times could become more common in the post-Covid world.
Few know this better than Dr Jamila Louahed, global head of research and development for therapeutic vaccines at the pharmaceutical giant GSK, and head of research and development at the company’s site at Rixensart, a town south-east of the Belgian capital, Brussels.
Dr Louahed describes Belgium as "the Silicon Valley of vaccines", with the European nation having an ecosystem for vaccines that began to develop in the aftermath of the Second World War.
Deadly necessity
To highlight the time it has taken in the past to develop some vaccines Dr Louahed cited respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which causes colds and coughs that threaten infants and the elderly. In Europe alone, RSV results in an estimated 20,000 deaths of older people in hospital each year.
In 2023, US and European regulators gave approval to a GSK vaccine against the illness, while UAE officials gave the go-ahead this year, and it is being introduced in a number of nations.
It has been a long time coming. In the 1960s a different RSV vaccine, based on an inactivated form of the virus that causes RSV, led to respiratory disease in some infants, a setback that considerably slowed development.
Also, the task of developing a shot has been made difficult by way that the key F protein on the virus's surface evolves rapidly.
"If you think about the time it took to develop some vaccines – let’s say RSV – 60 years. With today’s technology, you could really speed it up – less than 10 years," Dr Louahed said.
A key reason cited by Dr Louahed for increased speed is advancement in structural biology, the field that analyses the 3-D shape of biological molecules, such as fats, proteins, carbohydrates and nucleic acids.
Without these advances, spurred by improvements in microscopy and computing software, she said neither the Covid-19 vaccines nor the RSV vaccines would have come to market in the way they have.
Mapping a solution
It is hoped that new technology in the form of the antigen presenting system (Maps) could help develop innovative ways to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
The goal is to provide broader protection by combining sugar and protein antigens from the surface of the bacteria in one vaccine, which will activate different parts of the immune system, a statement on the GSK website reads.
An antigen is a toxin or other foreign substance which causes an immune response in the body.
For all that technology has improved, it remains a painstaking process to identify the correct antigen to include in the vaccine.
Ian Jones, a professor of virology at the University of Reading in the UK, said vaccine development was now "undoubtedly" faster, possibly twice as quick as in previous decades.
He said advances in structural biology meant the process of working out the 3D configuration of critical components of antigens was "much more streamlined and much faster" and Maps technology, too, had been a leap forward.
He said with mRNA vaccines, regulation was simpler because with different versions of such vaccines, the safety profile was not likely to change. Also, while he said that safety had not been compromised, the overall regulatory framework was faster.
"Now that back has been broken, it will be a lot easier to get a vaccine licensed than it was," he said. "There was a feeling that small companies and new companies could not possibly know what they were doing and couldn’t amass the data to get it through the regulatory authorities – they should leave it to the old timers. Covid has put an end to that."
For one candidate antigen for a vaccine, hundreds may have to be screened, so working in the field can be "extremely exciting and extremely frustrating at the same time", said Dr Dunja Sobot, GSK’s head of protein biochemistry for therapeutic vaccines.
"We have a lot of back and forth to make sure we have the best possible antigen when it goes further down in development," she added.
"We need to make sure we have something that’s functional, efficient and safe. We’re entering an exciting era. We can use many production tools to help us design the vaccine. All of this innovation can be applied to many parts of vaccine development."
Another technological advance has been through the use of "digital twins", which Siemens and a digitalisation company called Atos have worked on with GSK.
These provide a way to optimise the development and manufacturing of the vaccine through the creation of a "virtual plant".
This is the digital equivalent of the real vaccine facility, and it generates data that can be fed back into the vaccine development and manufacturing process, helped by machine learning, a form of artificial intelligence.
Aside from technical advances, vaccine development is being sped up by the holding, simultaneously, of different stages of clinical trial.
Emmanuel Felix, a GSK vice president who oversees the company’s manufacturing operations, said working in sequence was "not an option any more".
Among GSK’s manufacturing sites is a huge complex at Wavre, which lies a short distance east of Rixensart.
Employing more than 5,000 people, the campus-like Wavre plant, which is able to produce 1.5 million doses per day and accounts for about 60 per cent of the company’s vaccine manufacturing capacity, continues to expand.
Mr Felix said the pandemic had "changed the way we interact with regulators", which is another reason why things are faster now. "A lot of the barriers we thought were there in the past we can overcome," he said.
New frontiers
There is also a greater willingness to take commercial risks in the race to create new vaccines. For example, Mr Felix said GSK had already made investments in Belgium in anticipation of the eventual production of a vaccine to combat the herpes simplex virus.
An estimated 3.8 billion people under the age of 50 globally have herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection, the main cause of oral herpes, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said.
An estimated 519.5 million people aged 15 to 49 worldwide have herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection, the main cause of genital herpes.
HSV-2 increases the risk of acquiring HIV infection by about three-fold. In some cases it can even lead to a brain infection.
Continued innovation to develop a herpes vaccine is needed because of the "unmet medical need and burden associated with genital herpes".
However, last month GSK announced initial results "did not meet the study’s primary efficacy objective". Mr Felix said the company had already made preparations for the vaccine, which will not go ahead in its current form.
"We had made some investment in Belgium for that. It’s what it is but we’ve done the right thing," he said.
While vaccine development is faster thanks to a new technology and a renewed post-Covid push by pharmaceutical giants to keep up momentum, Mr Felix insisted safety standards remain high.
"It doesn’t change anything from a safety risk perspective. We would never, ever compromise on that," he said.
The specs: 2018 Maserati GranTurismo/GranCabrio
Price, base Dh485,000 (GranTurismo) and Dh575,000 (GranCabrio)
Engine 4.7L V8
Transmission Six-speed automatic
Power 460hp @ 7,000rpm
Torque 520Nm @ 4,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.3L (GranTurismo) and 14.5L (GranCabrio) / 100km
More from Armen Sarkissian
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 2
(Martial 30', McTominay 90 6')
Manchester City 0
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre V6
Power: 295hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 355Nm at 5,200rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
Price: Dh179,999-plus
On sale: now
Sanju
Produced: Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, Paresh Rawal, Anushka Sharma, Manish’s Koirala, Dia Mirza, Sonam Kapoor, Jim Sarbh, Boman Irani
Rating: 3.5 stars
Seven tips from Emirates NBD
1. Never respond to e-mails, calls or messages asking for account, card or internet banking details
2. Never store a card PIN (personal identification number) in your mobile or in your wallet
3. Ensure online shopping websites are secure and verified before providing card details
4. Change passwords periodically as a precautionary measure
5. Never share authentication data such as passwords, card PINs and OTPs (one-time passwords) with third parties
6. Track bank notifications regarding transaction discrepancies
7. Report lost or stolen debit and credit cards immediately
New Zealand squad
Tim Southee (capt), Trent Boult (games 4 and 5), Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson (games 1-3), Martin Guptill, Scott Kuggeleijn, Daryl Mitchell, Colin Munro, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Ross Taylor, Blair Tickner
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Naga
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Day 3, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Lahiru Gamage, the Sri Lanka pace bowler, has had to play a lot of cricket to earn a shot at the top level. The 29-year-old debutant first played a first-class game 11 years ago. His first Test wicket was one to savour, bowling Pakistan opener Shan Masood through the gate. It set the rot in motion for Pakistan’s batting.
Stat of the day – 73 Haris Sohail took 73 balls to hit a boundary. Which is a peculiar quirk, given the aggressive intent he showed from the off. Pakistan’s batsmen were implored to attack Rangana Herath after their implosion against his left-arm spin in Abu Dhabi. Haris did his best to oblige, smacking the second ball he faced for a huge straight six.
The verdict One year ago, when Pakistan played their first day-night Test at this ground, they held a 222-run lead over West Indies on first innings. The away side still pushed their hosts relatively close on the final night. With the opposite almost exactly the case this time around, Pakistan still have to hope they can salvage a win from somewhere.
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
Did you know?
Brunch has been around, is some form or another, for more than a century. The word was first mentioned in print in an 1895 edition of Hunter’s Weekly, after making the rounds among university students in Britain. The article, entitled Brunch: A Plea, argued the case for a later, more sociable weekend meal. “By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday night carousers. It would promote human happiness in other ways as well,” the piece read. “It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” More than 100 years later, author Guy Beringer’s words still ring true, especially in the UAE, where brunches are often used to mark special, sociable occasions.
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Results for Stage 2
Stage 2 Yas Island to Abu Dhabi, 184 km, Road race
Overall leader: Primoz Roglic SLO (Team Jumbo - Visma)
Stage winners: 1. Fernando Gaviria COL (UAE Team Emirates) 2. Elia Viviani ITA (Deceuninck - Quick-Step) 3. Caleb Ewan AUS (Lotto - Soudal)
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
$1,000 award for 1,000 days on madrasa portal
Daily cash awards of $1,000 dollars will sweeten the Madrasa e-learning project by tempting more pupils to an education portal to deepen their understanding of math and sciences.
School children are required to watch an educational video each day and answer a question related to it. They then enter into a raffle draw for the $1,000 prize.
“We are targeting everyone who wants to learn. This will be $1,000 for 1,000 days so there will be a winner every day for 1,000 days,” said Sara Al Nuaimi, project manager of the Madrasa e-learning platform that was launched on Tuesday by the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to reach Arab pupils from kindergarten to grade 12 with educational videos.
“The objective of the Madrasa is to become the number one reference for all Arab students in the world. The 5,000 videos we have online is just the beginning, we have big ambitions. Today in the Arab world there are 50 million students. We want to reach everyone who is willing to learn.”
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
Turkish Ladies
Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Voices: How A Great Singer Can Change Your Life
Nick Coleman
Jonathan Cape
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance: the specs
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 plus rear-mounted electric motor
Power: 843hp at N/A rpm
Torque: 1470Nm N/A rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.6L/100km
On sale: October to December
Price: From Dh875,000 (estimate)
ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures
October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA
match info
Southampton 2 (Ings 32' & pen 89') Tottenham Hotspur 5 (Son 45', 47', 64', & 73', Kane 82')
Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
Racecard
6pm: Mina Hamriya – Handicap (TB) $75,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
6.35pm: Al Wasl Stakes – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (Turf) 1,200m
7.10pm: UAE Oaks – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,900m
7.45pm: Blue Point Sprint – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,000m
8.20pm: Nad Al Sheba Trophy – Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (T) 2,810m
8.55pm: Mina Rashid – Handicap (TB) $80,000 (T) 1,600m
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
The Bio
Amal likes watching Japanese animation movies and Manga - her favourite is The Ancient Magus Bride
She is the eldest of 11 children, and has four brothers and six sisters.
Her dream is to meet with all of her friends online from around the world who supported her work throughout the years
Her favourite meal is pizza and stuffed vine leaves
She ams to improve her English and learn Japanese, which many animated programmes originate in
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
Brief scores:
Toss: Nepal, chose to field
UAE 153-6: Shaiman (59), Usman (30); Regmi 2-23
Nepal 132-7: Jora 53 not out; Zahoor 2-17
Result: UAE won by 21 runs
Series: UAE lead 1-0
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPowertrain%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle%20electric%20motor%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E201hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E310Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E53kWh%20lithium-ion%20battery%20pack%20(GS%20base%20model)%3B%2070kWh%20battery%20pack%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETouring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E350km%20(GS)%3B%20480km%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh129%2C900%20(GS)%3B%20Dh149%2C000%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: now
Gifts exchanged
- King Charles - replica of President Eisenhower Sword
- Queen Camilla - Tiffany & Co vintage 18-carat gold, diamond and ruby flower brooch
- Donald Trump - hand-bound leather book with Declaration of Independence
- Melania Trump - personalised Anya Hindmarch handbag
%20Ramez%20Gab%20Min%20El%20Akher
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Series information
Pakistan v Dubai
First Test, Dubai International Stadium
Sun Oct 6 to Thu Oct 11
Second Test, Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tue Oct 16 to Sat Oct 20
Play starts at 10am each day
Teams
Pakistan
1 Mohammed Hafeez, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Asad Shafiq, 5 Haris Sohail, 6 Babar Azam, 7 Sarfraz Ahmed, 8 Bilal Asif, 9 Yasir Shah, 10, Mohammed Abbas, 11 Wahab Riaz or Mir Hamza
Australia
1 Usman Khawaja, 2 Aaron Finch, 3 Shaun Marsh, 4 Mitchell Marsh, 5 Travis Head, 6 Marnus Labuschagne, 7 Tim Paine, 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Peter Siddle, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Jon Holland
