Colombian vaccine against covid-19 has already worked in animals

Vaxthera, the company in charge of research regarding the vaccine being developed in Colombia against the coronavirus, gave a positive assessment of the use of the substance. The biological product had positive results in experiments carried out on some animals, so it is expected that it can begin with humans during the first half of this year. Andrés Osorio, president of that entity, described the results as ‘fabulous’. The medicine, he stressed, is different from those offered by laboratories such as Johnson & Johnson and Astrazeneca.

“So far, the results we have received have been fabulous. The vaccine has protected mice, and we are evaluating the vaccine in a primate model, also with spectacular results (…) It is a well-known vector, it was used to eradicate smallpox a long time ago, and it is very safe in humans,” said Andrés Osorio, president of Vaxthera, who also explained that the animals used to carry out the studies of the drug were mice and primates.

By 2023, assuming that the drug has been tested in humans and is successful, the vaccine is expected to be on the market. The idea is that, once the substance is finally defined, the Ministry of Health’s goal of producing more than 100 million coronavirus vaccines per year will begin to be met.

It was on December 16, 2021, when the country’s presidency, headed by Iván Duque, reported that Colombia had regained its sovereignty in the production of vaccines. “Thanks to the Memorandum of Understanding that we signed with the company Providence Therapeutics and the company Vaxthera, a historic event that consolidates the Government-private sector alliance for the well-being of Colombians,” reads the president’s Twitter account.

“Recovering the capacity to produce vaccines is the primary strategy for the country’s health security. The Ministry of Health’s National Plan for Vaccine Production is producing initial results. We hope that there will soon be more good news,” said the head of that portfolio, Fernando Ruíz.

It was in June 2021 when Sura announced the creation of this new specialized organization. According to what was detailed, the company was created after a projected investment of 54 million dollars by Seguros SURA and the “knowledge of researchers, led by Jorge Emilio Osorio Benítez, PhD, with more than 30 years of experience in vaccine research and development.” According to the Sura group, at that time, VaxThera was advancing the development of vaccines against diseases such as, in addition to coronavirus, dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever, influenza and Zika.

The vaccine to combat Covid-19 was, by that month, in the pre-clinical testing phase in Wisconsin, in the United States. “This will serve as a booster vaccine, which will facilitate acquisition and distribution processes,” reads the press release in which the information was presented.

“Different global institutions and health experts have repeatedly warned that the world must prepare for future pandemics, in order to deploy all human, technological and logistical capabilities to protect populations. Aware of this situation and seeking to protect life, at Seguros SURA we decided to invest in the creation of VaxThera, since this collaboration will allow us to advance in biotechnology, as well as develop and strengthen capabilities that will make Colombia a key player for Latin America,” said Juan David Escobar, president of Seguros Sura, at the time.

Colombian President Iván Duque, in December 2021, assured that by signing the memorandum of understanding, by which Vaxthera is allowed to develop a vaccine production plant in the country, the construction of said work is enabled from February of this year, 2022, in Rionegro, Antioquia. “This investment in alliance with Providence will allow in June 2022 to have production of small batches of vaccines to increase its scale and production, not only in covid-19 vaccines, but in other pathologies,” he added. With Infobae

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