Corona vax made in 25 days

A Norwegian organisation set up to fight health epidemics and chaired by a former Australian Department of Health secretary has seen its lead coronavirus vaccine ready to move into human trials but they could still be months away.

The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) is backed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Britain's Wellcome Trust and chaired by former health secretary Jane Halton.

CEPI has to date funded four programs to fight coronavirus, including a collaboration between US biotech Moderna Therapeutics and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) which has designed and manufactured a vaccine in 25 days.