British American Tobacco working on COVID-19 vaccine

British American Tobacco said yesterday its US biotech unit is developing a potential vaccine for COVID-19 and is now in pre-clinical testing.

Kentucky BioProcessing (KBP), the unit developing the vaccine, could produce between one million and three million doses per week starting in June, the company said, with support from government agencies and the right manufacturers.

British American Tobacco said KBP, a division of BAT's US unit Reynolds American Inc, would develop the vaccine on a not-for-profit basis.

The vaccine, currently undergoing pre-clinical testing, uses a cloned portion of the new coronavirus strain’s genetic sequence to create an antigen that is then inserted into tobacco plants for reproduction.

"We believe we have made a significant breakthrough with our tobacco plant technology platform and stand ready to work with governments and all stakeholders to help win the war against Covid-19," David O'Reilly, director of Scientific Research at BAT, said in a statement. BAT’s US subsidiary, Reynolds American Inc, acquired KBP in 2014, with the aim of using some of its unique tobacco extraction technology to aid further development of its new category non-combustible products.

In 2014, KBP made headlines as one of the few companies with an effective treatment for Ebola, having manufactured ZMapp™ with California-based company Mapp BioPharmaceuticals in partnership with the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), it added.

 

British American Tobacco working on COVID-19 vaccine

British American Tobacco said yesterday its US biotech unit is developing a potential vaccine for COVID-19 and is now in pre-clinical testing. Kentucky BioProcessing (KBP), the unit developing the vaccine, could produce between one million and three million doses per week starting in June, the company said, with support from government agencies and the right manufacturers. British American Tobacco said KBP, a division of BATs US unit Reynolds American Inc, would develop the vaccine on a not-for-profit basis. The vaccine, currently undergoing pre-clinical testing, uses a cloned portion of the new coronavirus strains genetic sequence to create an antigen that is then inserted into tobacco plants for reproduction. We believe we have made a significant breakthrough with our tobacco plant technology platform and stand ready to work with governments and all stakeholders to help win the war against Covid-19, David OReilly, director of Scientific Research at BAT, said in a statement. BATs US subsidiary, Reynolds American Inc, acquired KBP in 2014, with the aim of using some of its unique tobacco extraction technology to aid further development of its new category non-combustible products. In 2014, KBP made headlines as one of the few companies with an effective treatment for Ebola, having manufactured ZMapp with California-based company Mapp BioPharmaceuticals in partnership with the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), it added.