Italy's government is aiming for COVID-19 vaccine independence as it invests in a local biotech company following "encouraging" Phase I trial results. Domenico Arcuri, Italy's COVID-19 emergency commissioner, said earlier this week that the country would invest in Italian biotech company, ReiThera, to support the development of its vaccine.

The single-dose vaccine, developed in cooperation with Germany's Leukocare and Belgium's Univercells, was tested on 45 volunteers aged 18-55, with 94 per cent of them still producing antibodies against COVID-19 28 days after receiving the shot. Phase II and III trials during which the vaccine is administered to thousands of people to test it is safe and efficient are to start shortly with results expected towards the end of the summer.