Mexico fast-tracking Israeli oral COVID-19 vaccine, other LATAM countries to follow

An Israeli pharmaceutical company that developed the Oravax oral COVID-19 vaccine candidate has announced a partnership with Mexico’s Genomma lab to expedite emergency use of a Phase-II clinical trial in the second most populous Latin American country.

To date, only 58 percent of Mexico’s population of 127 million has received even one dose of the Coronavirus vaccine in a country that is averaging 4,500 new cases a day, according to a recent Jerusalem Post report. Israel has been one of the countries hailed for its expeditious progress in COVID-19 vaccination development.

The two medical corporations have entered into a 50/50 joint venture with the understanding that Genomma will take the lead in working with Mexican authorities to clear any commercial and regulatory obstacles and help start distribution of the vaccine, should the companies get approval to do so.

“Our goal is to try to get emergency use approval ASAP,” Oramed CEO Nadav Kidron told the Jerusalem Post. “The company’s strategy is to start with developing countries where we believe we have a good chance of marketing approval. We believe Mexico is one of those ideal places.”

The Oravax vaccine is made up of three proteins that resemble components of the virus including some that can be mutated to help protect recipients against future variants of the Coronavirus disease. It can be administered independently or as a booster.

Commercialization and distribution of the drug would begin in Mexico with hopes of later becoming available to the rest of Central and South America, the companies said. 

Genomma Lab CEO Rodrigo Herrera was quoted by the Yucatan Times in saying he was optimistic about being able to “bring this revolutionary solution to a vaccine market of approximately 662 million Latin Americans.”

Kidron explained that the Israeli company would supply the Mexican company with the vaccine and that Genomma is already hiring Mexico based teams to implement a Phase II trial beginning in 2022.

“Millions of people in Latin America could benefit from the Oral vaccine to prevent COVID-19 in a faster and easier way since it does not require a cold chain or vaccination center. It is a pill that can be taken at home with a glass of water,” Kidron said according to a recent Merco Press report.

The report added that Herrera said an oral vaccination in the form of a pill would help reach many of Latin America’s most vulnerable populations because it would make consumption and distribution easier. 

“A vaccine in the form of a pill would allow us to reach the most isolated and vulnerable communities quickly and effectively,” the  Genomma Lab CEO said. “Our governments have made a great effort but the difficulty of obtaining vaccines and subsequently distributing them has been a problem.”

Oramed CEO Nadav Kidron said the pill could help the Latin American region restabilize and help get life back to normal. 

“This oral vaccine allows us to envision a pandemic-free future, a return to our normal lives once and for all,” he said.