According to the French News Agency, a biopharmaceutical company from Quebec, Canada, called Medicago, announced, in fact, that it took the first step towards the vaccine against Covid-19!
It is still too early for celebrations, however, the news broadcast by - and - the French News Agency, can make us, at least, smile and be optimistic.
A Canadian Pentagon-based biopharmaceutical company called Medicago, which appears to be receiving funding from the US Pentagon, has announced that it has developed a viable viable coronavirus vaccine. Covid-19, just 20 days after receiving the genetic sequence of the virus, using -according to its people- an innovative technology, which they hope to submit soon for approval by the competent authorities.
Medicago CEO Bruce Clark, in particular, said his company could produce up to 10 million doses a month if the bureaucratic hurdles were overcome. He said in an interview on Thursday that human trials could begin in July-August and the vaccine could be available in November.
If this is confirmed, we are talking about great news, as the predictions of doctors and scientists speak of a vaccine against Covid-19, at best, in the spring of 2021!
Medicago, according to the AFP publication, uses its technology platform to develop antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, in collaboration with the Infectious Diseases Research Center at Laval University, led by Dr. Gary Kobinger, who He also worked on the development of the Ebola vaccine and treatment.
These SARS-CoV-2 antibodies can potentially be used to treat patients infected with the virus.
Founded in 1997, Medicago is a pioneer in the treatment of medicinal plants (Medicago, after all, means Alfalfa, which is a plant), has already demonstrated its ability in a pandemic flu. In 2009, the company developed a candidate vaccine against H1N1 in just 19 days. In 2012, it produced 10 million doses of flu vaccine for Defense Advanced Research Projects (DARPA), which is under the auspices of the United States Department of Defense, within a month.
"The speed of our progress in what has to do with him Covid-19 is due to our ability to create, through our technology, plant-based vaccines and antibodies to address this global threat to public health. The ability to produce a candidate vaccine just 20 days after receiving the gene demonstrates what our technology can do. This technology allows us in a record time to fight, possibly, him Covid-19Said Dr. Bruce Clark.
Dr. Gary Kobinger, in turn, said: "The extremely successful collaboration of research teams from Laval University and Medicago has led to the development of unique antibodies to infectious diseases such as RSV (bronchiolitis) and HMPV (post-pneumonia virus). "Thanks to this experience, we are confident that we can successfully identify therapeutic antibodies to SARS-CoV-2."
This first Medicago product, a seasonal, recombinant, quadruple VLP vaccine for active immunization against influenza, is under review by the Canadian Department of Health and will follow a clinical trial program involving more than 25.000 patients.