Butantan announces first home-grown Brazilian vaccine and will start testing it in humans

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Butantan Institute announced on Friday, March 26th, its first domestically manufactured vaccine, Butanvac, developed by the São Paulo state-owned entity, which is awaiting authorization from regulatory bodies to begin immediate testing in humans, according to the governor of São Paulo, João Doria.

“This is a historic announcement for the world. The vaccine is one hundred percent domestic, with promising tests and the result of the work of a 120-year-old institution, which is the largest producer of vaccines in the Southern Hemisphere,” said Doria at a press conference at the headquarters of the state laboratory in São Paulo.

According to Doria, the start of Butanvac production is scheduled for May and “therefore, we will be able to start vaccination with 40 million doses, if possible, in July”.

The investment for the production of the new immunizer will come from the state government and the Butantan Institute itself.

Doria also advised that the National Health Regulatory Agency (ANVISA) will receive this Thursday the necessary information to start the evaluations that may allow the beginning of phase 1 trials in volunteers “to be started immediately”. “At this moment, the sense of urgency is the sense of respect,” he said.

The director of the Butantan Institute, Dimas Covas, said that the production of Butanvac will not affect in any way the production of Coronavac, developed by Butantan in partnership with the Chinese laboratory Sinovac, which is responsible for over 90% of all vaccinations carried out by Brazil so far this year.