RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The São Paulo government announced on Monday, September 14th, that the modernization and expansion works of the Butantan Institute plant, which will produce the vaccine against the coronavirus developed by the institute in partnership with the Chinese Sinovac laboratory, will begin on November 1st.
According to Governor João Doria, the government managed to raise approximately R$97 million (US$19 million) in donations from the private sector. The amount represents 60 percent of the total cost of the project, of R$160 million.
“Physically, this plant already exists, but it will be adapted, expanded, modernized and equipped,” said the governor during a press conference at the Bandeirantes Palace.
The CoronaVac is in phase three of clinical trials, which is the last step before approval. The trial involves 9,000 healthcare professionals, who have volunteered to be administered the vaccine at 12 research centers in six states.
According to government estimates, the reform should be completed by the end of next year and the plant should be operating at full capacity in 2022. With the plant, vaccine production should increase significantly to meet national demand for the drug.
“We are confident that with the agility and governance of the private sector, in partnership with the public sector, we will be able to quickly finish the construction of this facility, which will have as its main function the production of the CoronaVac. It is through this plant that we will complete the technology transfer process from Sinovac to the Butantan,” said Wilson Mello, president of InvestSP.
“The building of the plant is the last technology transfer step, it should be ready by the end of next year and operating at full capacity in early 2022. It is good news, it will equip the Butantan with a modern plant, within the most advanced technology available at the moment, so the news is very good and we are very optimistic in relation to these announced deadlines”, explained Dimas Covas, Director of the Butantan Institute.
The São Paulo government expects that if trials prove the efficacy of CoronaVac, the National Health Regulatory Agency (ANVISA) will approve the vaccine by early December. The Butantan Institute will receive 45 million doses of the CoronaVac until the end of this year. According to the governor, the number of doses may be as high as 100 million by early 2021.
Epidemic fades in the state
Another data released during the press conference included the consistent reduction in all indicators of pandemic evolution in the state of São Paulo.
According to the governor, the daily rolling average of coronavirus deaths is declining for the fifth consecutive week and has reached its lowest level since late May.
According to data from the state Health Secretariat, the daily rolling average of new Covid-19 deaths in the last epidemiological week, between September 6th and 12th, stood at 179 cases.
The result shows a reduction of 8.7 percent over the previous week, from August 30th to September 5th. The current average of deaths by coronavirus is also the lowest recorded since mid-May.
Government asks for caution
Despite the slight improvement in indicators, Doria warned of the need to redouble caution and prevent the rates of coronavirus contagion from rising again.
“These are figures that once again prove the solid drop in indicators in São Paulo, but this does not mean relaxing the quarantine measures,” stressed the governor. “We are in quarantine and we must remain there until the coming of a vaccine that will immunize us all and will permanently protect us,” he concluded.
“For us to return to normal, we need the vaccine. Only then can we live as we lived before”, commented Jean Gorinchteyn, State Health Secretary.
Source: InfoMoney