The Butantan Institute created a new vaccine candidate against Covid-19, and will ask for permission for clinical trials with humans from Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency) this Friday (26).
The pandemic has already killed more than 300,000 Brazilians. Butantan is the largest producer of vaccines in the country and already offers Coronavac, a drug of Chinese origin most available today in Brazil.
The immunizer developed by the institute is called Butanvac. Butantan institute leads an international consortium of which it is the main producer —85% of the total vaccine supply capacity, if it works, will come from the São Paulo government agency.
Butantan's director, Dimas Covas, says it is possible to end all vaccine tests and have 40 million doses ready before the end of the year.
There are at least seven other studies of vaccines in Brazil underway, all in the phase before clinical trials. "It is a second generation of vaccine against Covi-19, there may be a faster analysis," he said.
"A great advance in Brazilian science in the service of life," said the São Paulo governor, João Doria (PSDB).
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon