The US physician spearheading international efforts to find a vaccine against the deadly new strain of coronavirus said he was aiming to begin clinical trials within 16 weeks.

The race is on to halt the highly infectious disease that is spreading across China and other countries. For Richard Hatchett, head of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, this is the first big test of Cepi’s mission to develop vaccines to combat future epidemics. Oslo-based Cepi, set up three years ago with a $1bn budget target, is a partnership of governments, industry and charities.

“We are moving with unprecedented speed,” said Dr Hatchett, a former chief medical officer at the US agency that protects Americans against pandemics and biological weapons. “This is the first new epidemic disease of note to emerge since Cepi’s founding,” added Dr Hatchett, a member of the homeland and national security teams under presidents George W Bush and Barack Obama.