COVID-19: Scientists in Thailand set to develop tobacco-based vaccine to fight Omicron

As the immune-evasive new COVID-19 strain Omicron has sparked fears worldwide, researchers in Thailand have engaged in developing a breakthrough plant-based vaccine to fight the 'variant of concern'. 

As per Sky News, scientists have used tobacco leaves as a primary source to make the jabs, the testing for which began in late 2020. The plant-based vaccine is expected to be cleared by the end of 2022, as the next round of human trials is due in spring.

As per researchers involved in the study, the tobacco leaves used in the process have low nicotine content and are different from the kind used for cigarettes. The said that the variety of tobacco leaves are mostly Australian, and harvested in large quantities. However, it is pertinent to mention that the tobacco variety can be turned from "seed to vaccine within a month", with highly-adaptable technology, Sky News reported.

Speaking on the breakthrough development, Dr. Suthira Taychakhoonavudh, chief executive of Baiya Phytopharm told Sky News that "it takes only 10 days for us to produce a prototype and .. no more than three weeks to test whether that prototype works or not."

Talking about the latest updates in the progress of making a plant-based vaccine for the new COVID strain, Dr. Suthira said, "Right now, we are already working on the Omicron strings. We have the prototype and we're testing it right now."

For developing a prototype, tobacco leaves are used as a host to produce proteins that "mimic" the COVID-19 virus. The leaves are then blended and the protein is extracted, which is then inoculated into human bodies. The administered proteins stimulate antibodies, which the host body uses to fight the real virus.

Plant-based vaccines to benefit low-income countries

Although there are several vaccines available in the market to battle COVID-19, plant-based vaccines will be most beneficial for low-income countries, where they can grow their own harvest at a significantly controlled cost.

"Covid-19 is not going to be the last one. Are going to have so many emerging diseases and if we can develop the vaccine ourselves, then we don't have to rely on vaccines from other countries," Dr. Waranyoo Phoolcharoen, co-founder and chief technology officer of Baiya Phytopharm, told Sky News.

If successful, Baiya Phytopharm will be the first to develop a solo plant-based vaccine in South Asia. Meanwhile, Canadian biotech company Medicago in collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline have already produced a vaccine candidate, promising 71% efficacy in protecting against COVID-19 in its Phase 3 trial, if approved the two-dose COVID-19 vaccine would become the first plant-based vaccine to be authorised for use in humans, Medicago said in a statement released on December 7.

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