Brazil Approves Sanofi Pasteur Vaccine Clinical Trial

BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazil’s health regulator Anvisa said on Tuesday it has approved a new clinical trial of a COVID-19 vaccine candidate to be developed and tested by Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccination division of French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi.

The shot will be a ‘next-generation’ vaccine using mRNA technologies and the clinical study will be phase 1 and 2, Anvisa said, adding that around 150 volunteers in Brazil will be recruited.

The mRNA technology has previously proved itself in the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 jabs.

The study aims to apply two doses, 21 days apart, and will be conducted in the states of Bahia, Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul and Rio de Janeiro, Anvisa said.

The phase 1/2 trial is also expected to take place in the United States, Honduras and Australia.

Sanofi has partnered with Translate Bio to develop the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine. The companies are also working on a flu vaccine.

Sanofi’s protein-based COVID-19 vaccine, which contains a GSK adjuvant, is currently in phase 3 trials. (For a graphic on COVID-19 vaccines in development open https://tmsnrt.rs/3wn9eJZ)

The rise in Brazil’s COVID-19 case count and death toll is slowing but the country is still far behind others in getting its population vaccinated, and allegations of corruption against President Jair Bolsonaro in the procurement process have recently surfaced.

Brazil’s death toll of more than 525,000 remains the second highest in the world after the United States.

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