Medicago reports promising early Phase 1 test results of possible COVID-19 vaccine

[bababear_50]

I am hoping this Canadian company all the best and wishing for success,,so far so good!
QUEBEC — A Canadian biopharmaceutical company says it has received promising early test results for its plant-derived vaccine for COVID-19.


https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/cana...BB1aRXs9?li=AAggNb9&ocid=mailsignout#comments
Hugs
Mel

 

[Starwind]

The Medicago vaccine is interesting. It is the only [and I believe first for a vaccine] to be plant-based -- they use tobacco plants. They originally developed the tobacco-based method for making influenza vaccine and have one of those in the approval process with Health Canada; unlike normal ones that can take months to "grow", the plant based one can be grown up in something like 6 weeks which is an obvious benefit for something like a pandemic influenza [or, well, a pandemic in general] as well as normal vaccines.

According to media reporting, their phase 1 trial tested different doses as well as with and without adjuvants from two companies. For the phase 2/3 trials they have decided to go forward with a single dose using a GSK adjuvant.

It will be interesting to see how this one does through it next phase of trials. The reality is more than one successful vaccine is going to be needed to be able to vaccinate the planet at all, let alone on something resembling a timely basis.

I do wonder for this one if it will be safe for those allergic to tobacco, or if it is like the modern influenza vaccines for those allergic to eggs, "safe for almost all".

 

[Muskrat191]

Medicago released stage 3 results for their flu vaccine and the results were not great. The goal was 70% efficacy and they got something like 35%. Hopefully the COVID vaccine does better and/or they figure out how to improve their flu vaccine.

Medicago is in the process of building a new manufacturing facility in Quebec City. It's a few years out (the last article I read said 2023), but it would provide a lot of manufacturing capacity if one or both of their vaccines work.