Medicago is partially owned by Philip Morris International, so the vaccine won't be accepted for emergency use by the World Health Organization.
Medicago's Covifenz vaccine may become the first Western-manufactured Covid-19 vaccine rejected by the World Health Organization.
Medicago's application for emergency use approval has been paused due to the company's connection to Philip Morris, which might run afoul of the WHO's policies.
The vaccine known as Covifenz would be the first Western vaccine rejected by the WHO.
Philip Morris has a 21% stake in Medicago, while the Japanese pharmaceutical firm has a 79% stake.
The WHO's decision was not linked to the safety and efficacy of the company's vaccine, according to Medicago CEO Takashi Nagao.
If Covifenz is rejected by the WHO, the vaccine would be excluded from the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access initiative, which helps provide vaccines and other supplies for fighting Covid-19 to developing countries.
Medicago's request to have Covifenz pre-qualified for approval was rejected by the WHO.
Medicago agreed to give up to 76 million vaccine doses to the Canadian government in October 2020. Medicago's Covifenz is the first plant-based Covid-19 vaccine, and it showed 71% effectiveness against the virus and 75.3% against the delta variant in studies conducted before the omicron variant became dominant. Health Canada approved the use of Covifenz for people over the age of 64. The Canadian Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry hailed the drug's approval as a milestone in reversing a 40-year decline in the country's biomanufacturing industry. The 2005 Framework Convention on Tobacco Protocol attempts to restrict tobacco industry interests from influencing healthcare policy, which limits the WHO's ability to do business with entities linked to the tobacco industry.
Canada is a member of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Protocol, and its partnership with Philip Morris subsidiary Medicago provoked criticism from some tobacco control groups.
Medicago Covid Shot Faces Who Rejection Over Company's Tobacco Links.
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