Remember when we thought that having a COVID-19 vaccine right away was a shot to the moon? And then scientists surprised us with not just one but several vaccines made using different methods (mRNA technology, inactive virus, etc.). Now, we have another milestone: Canada has approved Covifenz, the first plant-based vaccine for COVID-19.
Here’s what you need to know about this development:
The first plant-based vaccine for COVID-19 is a concerted effort
Covifenz was developed by Medicago, Inc and GlaxoSmithKline Plc (GSK). It’s worth noting that Medicago is a unit owned by two companies: Mitsubishi Chemical Holding Corps and Philip Morris International.
Plant engineering is not a “new” technology
When the mRNA vaccine was rolled out, some of the people’s fears revolved around the “newness” of the technology.
Before worrying over plant-based technology, please note that it’s not exactly new. In fact, plant engineering has been present for over three decades now.
Even the World Health Organization acknowledges that plant-derived vaccines may have the following benefits:
- We might be able to produce them cheaply in large quantities.
- There’s a “negligible” likelihood of plant virus contamination
- We might be able to use common plants like potatoes and corn as carriers.
- Plant-derived vaccines can be stored for longer periods.
Covifenz is made from proteins
The newly developed plant-based vaccine for COVID-19 is made from proteins grown in plants closely related to tobacco. These proteins look like the virus that causes COVID-19 infection in humans and is capable of “training” our immune system against the actual SARS-CoV-2.
On top of that, Covifenz also has Glaxo’s pandemic adjuvant, a substance that helps boost our immune system. According to GSK, an adjuvant is “added to some vaccines to enhance the immune response, thereby creating a stronger and longer-lasting immunity against infections than the vaccine alone.”
In December, reports revealed that the vaccine has a 71% efficacy rate against multiple COVID variants. Trials also showed that it is 75% effective against the delta variant and 89% effective against the gamma, which was first identified in Brazil.
Since Omicron wasn’t circulating yet during the studies, the company plans to execute further research on it.