British American Tobacco working on plant-based coronavirus vaccine
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British American Tobacco said it had cloned a portion of the genetic sequence of the coronavirus and developed a potential antigen. The antigen was then inserted into tobacco plants for reproduction and, once the plants were harvested, the antigen was purified. It is now undergoing pre-clinical testing.
The maker of brands including Lucky Strike, Dunhill, Rothmans and Benson & Hedges, has turned the vast resources to battling the global pandemic.
“If testing goes well, BAT is hopeful that, with the right partners and support from government agencies, between 1m and 3m doses of the vaccine could be manufactured per week, beginning in June,” the company said.
The London-listed company used the announcement to trumpet the positive aspects of its tobacco empire, saying that “new, fast-growing tobacco plant technology” put it ahead of others trying to develop a vaccine.
“Tobacco plants offer the potential for faster and safer vaccine development compared with conventional methods,” the company said.
BAT said its US biotech subsidiary, Kentucky BioProcessing (KBP), has moved to pre-clinical testing and that it will work on the vaccine on a not-for-profit basis.
BAT said its work was “potentially safer [than conventional vaccine technology], given that tobacco plants cannot host pathogens which cause human disease”.
The FT reports that the company said it was “exploring” partnerships with government agencies to begin testing on humans “as soon as possible”, adding it had been in touch with the US Food and Drug Administration and the UK’s Department of Health and Social Care. It said the “vaccine project” would be carried out on a not-for-profit basis.
BAT argued that tobacco, which annually kills millions of people who smoke it, was particularly suited for medical research. It cannot host pathogens that cause human disease and potential antigens can accumulate in its plants in six weeks “compared to several months.”
Dr David O’Reilly, Director of Scientific Research, BAT said: “We are engaged with the US Food and Drug Administration and are seeking guidance on next steps. We have also engaged with the UK’s Department for Health and Social Care, and BARDA in the US, to offer our support and access to our research with the aim of trying to expedite the development of a vaccine for Covid-19.
“Vaccine development is challenging and complex work, but we believe we have made a significant break-through with our tobacco plant technology platform and stand ready to work with Governments and all stakeholders to help win the war against Covid-19. We fully align with the United Nations plea, for a whole-of-society approach to combat global problems.”
“KBP has been exploring alternative uses of the tobacco plant for some time. One such alternative use is the development of plant-based vaccines. We are committed to contributing to the global effort to halt the spread of Covid-19 using this technology.”
