NC-MEDICAGO
12.3.2020 12:32:09 CET | Business Wire | Press release
Medicago, a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Quebec City, announced today that they have successfully produced a Virus-Like Particle (VLP) of the coronavirus just 20 days after obtaining the SARS-CoV-2 (virus causing the COVID-19 disease) gene. Production of the VLP is the first step in developing a vaccine for COVID-19, which will now undergo preclinical testing for safety and efficacy. Once this is completed, Medicago expects to discuss with the appropriate Health Agencies to initiate human trials of the vaccine by summer (July/August) 2020.
Medicago is also using its technology platform to develop antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in collaboration with the Laval University’s Infectious Disease Research Centre headed by Dr. Gary Kobinger, who helped develop a vaccine and treatment for Ebola. These SARS-CoV-2 antibodies could potentially be used to treat people infected by the virus. This research is being funded, in part, by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR).
Medicago is a leader in plant-based technology, having previously demonstrated its capability to be a first responder in a flu pandemic. In 2009, the company produced a research-grade vaccine candidate against H1N1 in just 19 days. In 2012, Medicago manufactured 10 million doses of a monovalent influenza vaccine within one month for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), part of the U.S. Department of Defense. In 2015, Medicago also demonstrated that it could rapidly produce an anti-Ebola monoclonal antibody cocktail for the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
“The pace of our initial progress in COVID-19 is attributable to the capability of our plant-based platform, which is able to produce vaccine and antibody solutions to counteract this global public health threat. The ability to produce a candidate vaccine within 20 days after obtaining the gene is a critical differentiator for our proven technology. This technology enables scale-up at unprecedented speed to potentially combat COVID-19,” said Dr. Bruce Clark, CEO of Medicago.
Dr. Gary Kobinger, Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases and the Director of the Infectious Disease Research Centre at Laval University, said “The collaborative efforts established between the research team at Laval University and Medicago have been very successful in developing unique antibodies against infectious diseases such as RSV and HMPV, and that experience gives us confidence for successful identification of therapeutic antibodies against SARS-CoV-2.”
Medicago’s first product, a seasonal recombinant quadrivalent VLP vaccine for active immunization against influenza, is currently under review by Health Canada following the completion of a robust safety and efficacy clinical program involving over 25,000 patients.
Notes to Editors:
Medicago’s unique plant-based platform
The company uses a proprietary plant-based technology to develop protein-based therapeutics. Unlike traditional vaccination development, Medicago does not use animal products or live viruses to create its products. Instead, it uses Virus-Like Particles (VLPs) that mimic the shape and dimensions of a virus, which allows the body to recognize them and create an immune response in a non-infectious way. Clinical trial data suggest that VLPs have a multi-modal mechanism of action that is different from that of inactivated vaccines, activating both arms of the immune system – antibody and cell-mediated responses.
Medicago’s proprietary technology is rapid, versatile, and scalable. As soon as the genetic sequence of a virus is made available, Medicago can develop a clinical-grade vaccine candidate in only a few weeks. Its recombinant technology allows the production of a vaccine that precisely matches the circulating strains, such as in the case of seasonal influenza. The technology is easily scalable, allowing the company to increase volume of production by simply increasing the number of plants it uses.
Product portfolio and pipeline
Medicago’s first product, a Recombinant Quadrivalent Virus-Like Particle (QVLP) seasonal flu vaccine, is presently under review by Health Canada. Vaccine candidates for pandemic flu, rotavirus and norovirus are being tested across pre-clinical and Phase II clinical trials. Medicago is also developing antibodies against hMPV, RSV and Opioids.
Facilities
Medicago is headquartered in Quebec City, Canada, and plans to produce COVID-19 vaccines and antibodies in its Quebec pilot plant to respond to the immediate short-term demand. The company also has a manufacturing facility in Durham, North Carolina (USA), which is currently dedicated to the production of vaccines and antibodies for its clinical trials and is expected to support the launch of the quadrivalent VLP influenza vaccine once it is approved. A new state-of-the-art manufacturing plant is under construction in Quebec City, which will be fully functional by 2023 and will have the capability to deliver up to 50 million doses of recombinant quadrivalent influenza vaccine per year.
About Medicago
Medicago is a biopharmaceutical company with more than 450 employees in Canada and the United States. Medicago’s mission is to improve global health outcomes by leveraging innovative plant-based technologies for rapid responses to emerging global health challenges. Medicago is committed to advancing therapeutics against life-threatening diseases worldwide.
For more information: www.medicago.com
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200312005345/en/
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
IQM Announces Novel Quantum Error Correction Approach Toward Fault-Tolerant Quantum Computing9.6.2026 09:00:00 CEST | Press release
New approach delivers cutting edge performance, while significantly reducing hardware complexity IQM Quantum Computers, the global leader in superconducting quantum computers, has developed a novel quantum error-correcting code that achieves up to three orders of magnitude lower logical error rates than the surface code, also requiring up to eight times fewer physical qubits. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260609533201/en/ IQM´s breakthrough technology, called barbell codes. Unlike many alternative high-performance quantum error-correction approaches, the new code also maintains a comparatively low hardware complexity, marking a significant advancement toward scalable fault-tolerant quantum computing. Quantum error correction remains one of the defining challenges in the race toward practical quantum computing. Errors introduced by noise must be corrected faster than they accumulate, a requirement that previo
Estonia Raises the Bar for Secure Digital Identity in Europe With New eID Cards Developed With Thales9.6.2026 09:00:00 CEST | Press release
The Estonian Police and Border Guard Board has begun the issuance of the country’s new electronic identity (eID) cards, marking a major milestone in the ongoing modernisation of Estonia’s renowned digital identity programme. This new generation of cards has been developed in partnership with Thales under an eight-year contract covering the full lifecycle of national identity documents - from issuance to personalisation -for residents, citizens, and specific groups such as diplomats or refugees. The advanced eID cards1 feature cutting-edge embedded security elements that can be upgraded to counter emerging cyber threats, ensuring citizens’ digital transactions remain protected over time. With increasing cyber risks and the rapid evolution of digital public services, Estonia is reinforcing the security, durability and adaptability of the documents that underpin its digital society: identity cards, residence permit cards, e-resident digital identity cards, diplomatic identity cards, certi
Longpoint Expands into Germany and the Netherlands, Targeting €400 Million of Infill Logistics Investment9.6.2026 09:00:00 CEST | Press release
Firm appoints Gijs Vissers and Benedict Stichel as country heads to lead growth across two key European logistics markets Longpoint Partners today announced its expansion into Germany and the Netherlands, extending its infill industrial strategy into two of Europe’s most supply-constrained logistics markets. The firm is establishing a presence in high-demand locations, including Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, and the Randstad, and plans to deploy approximately €400 million into logistics assets near major population centers and transportation corridors. “We are excited to expand Longpoint’s infill industrial strategy into Germany and the Netherlands,” said Dwight Angelini, Founding and Managing Partner of Longpoint Partners. “These are highly attractive logistics markets with strong fundamentals, limited supply, and a clear need for high-quality light industrial and logistics space. With Gijs and Benedict leading our local efforts, we have the market knowledge, relationships, and discipline to
ISO/TC 251 Recognizes Ampowr as the Only BESS Operator With a Fully Integrated ISO Stack9.6.2026 09:00:00 CEST | Press release
ISO/TC 251 and NEN, the Netherlands national standards body, profile Ampowr alongside Rijkswaterstaat, the US Army Corps of Engineers, Novo Nordisk and Veolia after an in-depth methodology interview with Executive Director Andrew Elwell. ISO/TC 251, the international technical committee that authors the ISO 55000 family of asset management standards, has published a case study profiling Ampowr's integrated certification methodology. Authored by NEN, the Dutch national standards body, the study is now publicly available in the ISO/TC 251 case studies library alongside profiles of Rijkswaterstaat, the US Army Corps of Engineers, Novo Nordisk, and Veolia. ISO/TC 251 approached Ampowr directly. NEN subsequently conducted an in-depth interview with Executive Director Andrew Elwell, examining how Ampowr operates its five certifications (ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 27001 and ISO 55001), as a single integrated system rather than separate compliance silos. "To our knowledge we are the o
Bial Reports Topline Results From ACTIVATE Phase 2b Study in GBA‑Associated Parkinson’s9.6.2026 08:00:00 CEST | Press release
Bial, an innovation-driven biopharmaceutical company focused on neurosciences and rare diseases, announced today that the Phase 2b ACTIVATE study of BIA 28-6156 (pariceract) in patients with Parkinson’s who have a pathogenic variant in the GBA1 gene (GBA-PD) did not meet its primary, nor the key secondary efficacy endpoints, meaning that BIA 28-6156 failed to slow the progression of GBA-PD versus placebo. BIA 28-6156 proved to be generally well tolerated in the study, with no unexpected safety concerns arising. While the study data provide valuable scientific information and contribute to a broader understanding of Parkinson’s biology, BIA 28-6156 did not demonstrate significant differentiation from placebo on the primary or key secondary endpoints measured. Based on the lack of demonstrated efficacy in this study, Bial has made the decision to discontinue further development of BIA 28-6156 for this indication. “We are disappointed with the outcome of the Phase 2b ACTIVATE study, as th
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom