Plant-Based COVID-19 Vaccine Approved in Canada

COVIFENZ, a plant-based vaccine against COVID-19 developed by Medicago and GlaxoSmithKline, has received regulatory approval in Canada for use in individuals between 18-64 years of age, a company press release said. 

The global pandemic has led to advancements in vaccine technologies and accelerated the use of technologies that were still in their early stages of development. While mRNA-based vaccines are a prime example, plant-based vaccines are another platform that has made rapid strides. With the recent regulatory approval, COVIFENZ has become the first plant-based vaccine to be used against COVID. 

Related Article: Quebec-based Medicago Preps its Homegrown Plant-based COVID-19 Vaccine for Canada Approval, Touting Promising Phase 3 Data

How Is the Vaccine Made?

The vaccine uses Coronavirus-Like Particle (CoVLP) expressed in plants along with an adjuvant from GlaxoSmithKline to evoke an immune response when injected. The CoVLP are derived from plants after recombining the spike (S) glycoprotein in their cells. 3.75 micrograms of the CoVLP antigen is combined with the adjuvant for one dose of the vaccine. The immunization regimen consists of two doses given 21 days apart. 

The vaccine received its first ever approval in a country after Canadian regulatory authorities reviewed the scientific data submitted by the companies as part of a rolling review initiated in April 2021. It is also Medicago’s first vaccine to be approved. 

“Today is a great day for Medicago as COVIFENZ® becomes its first approved vaccine. I’d like to thank the Clinical Investigators involved in our trials as well as Medicago’s passionate and curious team of over 500 scientific experts and employees,” said Yosuke Kimura, Chief Scientific Officer at Medicago. “Today only reinforces our commitment to using our technology to provide rapid responses to emerging global health challenges, and to advancing therapeutics against life-threatening diseases worldwide.”

The vaccine, which can be stored at 2-8 degrees Celsius, will be manufactured in Canada and North Carolina in the U.S., the press release said. The Government of Canada has contracted Medicago, headquartered in Quebec City, to supply the vaccine that the company is working to fulfil as soon as possible. 

Canada Promoting Innovations in Biotechnology

“The approval of our COVID-19 vaccine is a significant milestone for Canada in the fight against the pandemic. We appreciate Health Canada’s timely review,” said Takashi Nagao, President and CEO at Medicago. “We’re also grateful for the Government of Canada’s support in the development of this new vaccine, and we are manufacturing doses to start fulfilling its order.”

“As one of our government’s top priorities has been to reverse the 40-year decline faced by Canada’s biomanufacturing sector, we are pleased to see Medicago’s vaccine approval,” said François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. “It is a great milestone for Canada’s biotechnology sector and for homegrown innovation. We will continue to support companies that want to produce vaccines in Canada and join the growing national biomanufacturing sector.”

Related Article: Putting the Bio in Canadian Biomanufacturing

Author

Ameya Paleja