WHO would reject Medicago's covid vaccine due to ties to tobacco company

(Bloomberg) — The Medicago Inc. covid-19 vaccine is about to become the first Western vaccine to be rejected by the World Health Organization (WHO), due to the company's ties with cigarette manufacturer Philip Morris International Inc.

The Canadian biopharmaceutical's request for prequalification of its Covifenz vaccine was not accepted, according to a WHO guidance document dated March 2. That means that WHO is unlikely to approve the vaccine for emergency use, which would also keep it out of the global Covax vaccine distribution program.

“Because of its connections, it is partially owned by Philip Morris, the process is suspended,” Mariangela Simao, WHO Assistant Director-General for Access to Drugs, Vaccines and Pharmaceuticals, said at a news conference Wednesday. “WHO and the UN have a very strict policy regarding engagement with the tobacco and arms industry, so it is very likely that it will not be accepted for emergency use.”

Covifenz is the world's first plant-based covid vaccine. It is made from proteins, grown in plants, that look like the virus that causes covid in the human immune system. The vaccine also uses GlaxoSmithKline Plc's pandemic adjuvant, a substance that enhances the immune system's response. It was jointly developed by Medicago, owned by Mitsubishi Chemical and Philip Morris, and Glaxo. The Canadian Government provided US$173 million in financing for its development and is so far the only country that has authorized it for its use.

Anti-smoking groups argue that funding and approving a drug that has links to the tobacco industry violates the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) that came into force in 2005. The global treaty calls for stricter controls on tobacco and emphasizes the need for public health policies to be protected from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry.

Canada has carefully studied the Government's investment in Medicago and believes it meets treaty obligations, a Health Canada spokeswoman wrote in an email response to the questions. She said the treaty does not prevent the government from working with Medicago on vaccine development and procurement to ensure there is a ready and effective supply of vaccines for its population.

“The Department's interactions with the tobacco industry will remain transparent in accordance with Health Canada's openness and transparency requirements and in line with WHO FCTC guidelines,” he wrote.

Medicago Executive Director Takashi Nagao said Wednesday evening that the company had not yet received any official communication from WHO.

“We understand that this decision is related to the minority shareholder of Medicago and not to the demonstrated safety and efficacy profile of our covid-19 vaccine,” he said.

Medicago has a contract with the Canadian government to supply up to 76 million doses of the vaccine and is in talks with other countries about possible agreements, Nagao said.

“Even if it's not a violation of the agreement, it's definitely a violation of the spirit of the convention,” said Les Hagen, executive director of Action on Smoking and Health in Edmonton, a public health charity. “This is not Canada's proudest moment in public health.”

The situation highlights the difficulties faced by large tobacco companies as companies increasingly seek to expand into the health and welfare sector. Philip Morris, who sells Marlboro cigarettes outside the United States, made a series of acquisitions that included inhalation therapy manufacturer Grupo Vectura Plc, a move that provoked public outrage. British American Tobacco Plc has established a new branch of biotechnology, KBio Holdings, which will focus on the development of treatments and vaccines for rare and infectious diseases using plant-based technology.

IMBCAMS China's request for prequalification of its inactivated covid vaccine was also not accepted, and WHO noted that the vaccine was still in initial development.

Michael R. Bloomberg, founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, parent of Bloomberg News, has long been an advocate for tobacco control efforts.

Original Note:

Medicago Covid Shot Faces WHO Rejection Over Tobacco Links (1)

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