Quebec biopharmaceutical company sees encouraging early COVID-19 vaccine tests

Quebec biopharmaceutical company Medicago said on Thursday it was getting encouraging early results from its COVID-19 vaccine testing.

The company said its product has generated a positive antibody response in mice ten days after the administration of a single dose.

These results are a first step before Medicago can conduct clinical studies in people.

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Once the results of a second “booster” dose are obtained, Medicago said it will submit a clinical trial request to Health Canada as well as a new drug request to the United States Food and Drug Administration to allow the start of clinical trials on humans.

The biopharmaceutical company said phase one and two of clinical trials could take place before the end of the year.

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Medicago estimates that its current facilities in Quebec and North Carolina could produce up to 20 million and 100 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, respectively, annually.

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