Canada's home-grown vaccines

Well, who knew? Canada is in the process of producing its own home-grown COVID-19 vaccine.

In a week when Pfizer reneges on its vaccine delivery schedule, and the risk of an EU embargo on vaccine exports raises its head (although this will supposedly not affect Canada), this is bigger news than it might have been.

Now, granted, it's still in its early stages, starting its first human clinical trials this week, with 60 volunteers in Toronto making up its Phase 1 trial. But, hey, that's cool, and it may be a good option for the future in an increasingly uncertain world. Phase 2 trials are  expected to commence in May, and it MAY be ready for mass markets by January 2022, if all goes well.

The vaccine, developed by Toronto-based Providence Therapeutics, is an mRNA vaccine, similar to Pfizer's and Moderna's. And the company has not has a whole lot of assistance in its development, certainly nothing on the level of those competitors, despite having started work on it last March. And, given that we now have other vaccines already being administered, a new csndidate may have some problems finding volunteers for its trials (unless, Heaven forbid, the new British/South African/Brazilian/other variants of the virus prove to be resistant to existing vaccines). But, nothing daunted, Providence has persisted, and it has already invested in mass manufacturing facilities in Calgary in full confidence that its product will come to fruition.

The only other "Canadian" vaccine to have progressed significantly in its development is from Quebec-based Medicago, which began its clinical trials as long ago as July 2020. But, unlike Providence, Medicago's  product, if approved, would base most of its production in North Carolina. A joint Chinese-Canadian vaccine project (CanSino), established early in the pandemic, fell apart last May after communications broke down with the Chinese arm of the agreement. Saskatoon-based VIDO-Intervac is also close to being able to start Phase 1 trials.

So, there is still a possibility that Canada will be able to produce its own vaccines. Just don't hold your breath.