The first COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by a Canadian company will “very likely” not get the green light for emergency use by the World Health Organization (WHO) due to its ties to the tobacco industry.
Dr. Mariângela Simão, WHO’s assistant director-general for access to medicines and health products, spoke about the vaccine during a press briefing Wednesday.
“Due to its connections — it’s owned by tobacco company Philip Morris International — so the process is put on hold because it’s well known that the WHO and UN have a very strict policy regarding engagement with tobacco and arms industries,” she said. “So the process is on hold.
“It’s very likely that it will not be accepted for emergency list using by WHO.”
A guidance document from WHO on its website from March 2 shows the evaluation process for each COVID-19 vaccine submitted for review. Medicago’s COVID-19 vaccine is listed as “not accepted” in the organization’s expression of interest phase.
The Quebec-based biopharmaceutical company’s vaccine marks the world’s first-ever plant-based jab for human use. The vaccine, called Covifenz, is comprised of two doses that must be administered 21 days apart, based on evidence from clinical trials.
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The company submitted its last phase of data, which included 30,000 volunteers, for regulatory review by Health Canada in December 2021.
Health Canada approved Medicago’s vaccine for use in late February, for people aged between 18 and 64.
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Medicago said in a statement Thursday that it has not received any “official communication” from WHO to date.
“It is our understanding that this decision is linked to Medicago’s minority shareholder and not the demonstrated safety and efficacy profile of our COVID-19 vaccine,” president and CEO Takashi Nagao said.
In July 2020, the company had announced plans to distance itself from Philip Morris International. The association has been a source of roadblocks and criticism for Medicago.
Representatives for Health Canada have not immediately responded to a request to comment on WHO’s decision.
— with files from Global News’ Irelyne Lavery, Carolyn Jarvis and Emanuela Campanella
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