The Sao Paulo state government announced Thursday that Brazil’s Instituto Butantan reached an agreement with the Chinese laboratory Sinovac Biotech to produce an experimental vaccine …
The Sao Paulo state government announced Thursday that Brazil’s Instituto Butantan reached an agreement with the Chinese laboratory Sinovac Biotech to produce an experimental vaccine against the coronavirus.
Some 9,000 Brazilians will participate in tests beginning in July, representing the third and last stage of testing before distribution. If the vaccine is effective, it will be produced in Brazil. Sao Paulo Gov. Joao Doria said the vaccine could be available in the first half of 2021.
“Today is a historic day for Sao Paulo, Brazil and world science. The vaccine that Butantan will produce is one of the most advanced,” Doria said at a news conference. He said he hoped it can be used to immunize millions of Brazilians.
The experimental vaccine has already passed two stages of testing in China, where it was given to monkeys and then to 744 Chinese volunteers, officials say.
