Avimex® Announces the Development of “Patria”: the Mexican Vaccine against Sars-CoV-2

• • The Avimex® Project for the Mexican vaccine “Patria” against COVID-19 started in March 2020, based in a recombinant paramyxovirus of Newcastle disease (rNDV).
  • In alliance with the Mexican Government and coordinated by CONACyT, the Avimex® Project aims to have the Patria vaccine ready for Mexicans in the last trimester of 2021. 
  • The vaccine under development utilizes technology from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (New York, USA), and HexaPro protein from The University of Texas at Austin. 
  • To date, institutions such as IMSS, UNAM, and INER have joined the project, looking forward to starting the clinical phases in humans this April, fully complying with the regulatory requirements for human vaccines.
  Mexico City, April 13th, 2021. The international scientific community is in a crusade against the clock to study the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and the development of different vaccines and treatments to allow the world to begin its recovery from the economic and social effects left by the COVID-19 pandemic. Mexico also has research projects and initiatives on that subject.
  Avimex®, a veterinary pharmaceutical company with 100% Mexican capital and almost 70 years of national and international recognition, has undertaken significant efforts to develop a safe and effective vaccine against COVID-19 since March 2020. After analyzing the technological platforms at its disposal, Avimex® determined that a recombinant Newcastle Disease Virus (rNDV) has the potential for success in the vaccine against the COVID-19 due to the use of this platform in millions of doses in Avimex®’s veterinary influenza vaccines, as well as because of its extensively tested safety in humans for other diseases.
  The development of the Patria vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 is the result of the combined efforts and solidarity among national, international, public, and private institutions, whose major goal is protecting the lives and health of Mexican people. This example of strategic cooperation and solidarity shows us that Mexico has the talent, infrastructure and abilities needed to face the urgent and critical health challenges. 
  The vaccine Avimex® is developing uses technology from the Icahn School of Medicine in Mount Sinai (New York, USA) through a licensing agreement exclusive for Mexico and in the development of candidate seeds against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Three world-renowned Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai virologists—Peter Palese, PhD, Horace W. Goldsmith Professor and Chair of Microbiology; Florian Krammer, PhD, Mount Sinai Professor in Vaccinology; and Adolfo García-Sastre, PhD, Director of the Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute (ISGlobal), and Professor of Microbiology and Medicine (Infectious Diseases) at the Irene, and Dr. Arthur M. Fishberg at Mount Sinai—are the inventors of rNDV technology. 
  Preclinical work done by Dr. Palese and his team showed promising results. Avimex® has contributed with Mount Sinai in the development of veterinary vaccines based on rNDV since 2003, and most recently obtained a license to use rNDV technology by Mount Sinai to pursue developing a vaccine against COVID-19. 
  After developing twelve vaccine candidates during 2020, the one with the greatest clinical potential and industrial success was selected, which also includes the HexaPro (6 Prolines) protein, developed by The University of Texas at Austin, which has also been licensed to the Mexican laboratory.
  Avimex® has arranged two new plants: the first one to produce the pilot batches, following each regulatory process to obtain the corresponding authorizations that will allow the clinical trials to start this April; the second one will carry out the industrial-scale production as soon as successful results of Phase I and II clinical research are obtained.
  Likewise, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, as well as several instances of the Federal Government, follow the project up to ensure that said initiative can continue and be added within the context of international cooperation, always in strict compliance with the regulatory framework applicable to vaccines for human use, which includes an initial financing by AMEXCID-SRE, as well as a joint venture and alliance with CONACyT, which coordinates alongside with Avimex® the efforts to develop the Patria vaccine.
  The Avimex® Project has the support of IMSS (Mexican Social Security Institute), with whom it conducted the successful clinical trial of a vaccine against influenza AH1N1 during the 2009 pandemic, and will follow up the development of clinical trials.
  UNAM (National Autonomous University of Mexico) has joined the effort by conducting analytical tests to typify the vaccine; interpret preclinical test results; and support in the design of clinical protocols. Likewise, the National Institute of Respiratory Diseases (INER, in Spanish) is preparing to support clinical trials in humans with immunological analyzes, where it will provide its talent and infrastructure.
  The Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks (Cofepris, in Spanish) has certified Avimex’s production plant as sanitary safe as well as its first vaccine batches, and the Phase I clinical trials design, alongside with the scientific committees to be executed in the facilities of the Médica Sur Hospital in CDMX, with the highest standards for clinical research, supervised by independent CRO's. 
  “We are aware of the great responsibility that has fallen on our team. For many years we have been recognized for working with open innovation models and with the initiative to collaborate with the Mexican Government and institutions of the highest level in Mexico and the world. The coming challenges are great, and it is essential to continue with the support of our collaborators and allies to achieve the goal of having a safe and effective vaccine that contributes to becoming nationally self-sufficient in the sector again, said Bernardo Lozano Dubernard, CEO of Avimex®. 
  Avimex® celebrates all the national and international efforts resulting in safe and effective vaccines for the benefit of our country and the world. It is time to join efforts, and Mexico has the scientific, technical, governmental and business capacity to drive successful strategic and innovative projects with a highly social interest, alongside with the government’s support, without losing sight of the immediate objective of having tools to control the damage that this pandemic has left behind. 
  
  
  About Avimex®
  Since its foundation in 1952, Laboratorio Avi-Mex, S.A de C.V., has been a bio-innovation company with 100% Mexican capital, which is dedicated to the research, development, manufacture, import, export and commercialization of biological and pharmaceutical products, disinfectants and mycotoxin detoxifiers for animal health. Today it has an important presence in the market, both national and international, in more than 30 countries. As part of its evolution, Avimex® has expanded its areas of expertise to provide customers with solutions that improve the health and productivity of animals intended for human consumption in poultry, swine, livestock and aquaculture sectors. This has granted it the recognition as a Family Responsible Company (2006), Highly Exporting Company (2007), National Award for Technology and Innovation (2011), ADIAT Award for Technological Innovation (2012), National Export Award (2012), Ranking of the Best Mexican Companies (2012 to 2020), National Award for Technology and Innovation Endorsement (2015), Socially Responsible Company (2018), and Super Mexican Companies by Expansión (2018, 2019, 2020). For more information, visit www.avimex.com.mx 
  
  

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About the Mount Sinai Health System

The Mount Sinai Health System is New York City's largest academic medical system, encompassing eight hospitals, a leading medical school, and a vast network of ambulatory practices throughout the greater New York region. Mount Sinai is a national and international source of unrivaled education, translational research and discovery, and collaborative clinical leadership ensuring that we deliver the highest quality care—from prevention to treatment of the most serious and complex human diseases. The Health System includes more than 7,200 physicians and features a robust and continually expanding network of multispecialty services, including more than 400 ambulatory practice locations throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, and Long Island. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked No. 14 on U.S. News & World Report's "Honor Roll" of the Top 20 Best Hospitals in the country and the Icahn School of Medicine as one of the Top 20 Best Medical Schools in the country. Mount Sinai Health System hospitals are consistently ranked regionally by specialty and our physicians are in the top 1% of all physicians nationally by U.S. News & World Report. 

For more information, visit https://www.mountsinai.org or find Mount Sinai on ,Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

About Médica Sur 

Médica Sur is a highly specialized health institution with medical, diagnostic, research, teaching and social assistance units, offering its patients a medical excellence service with a human approach. In Médica Sur, a select group of professionals from medicine, nursing, administration and hospital operations meet which guided by a strict code of ethics and backed by cutting-edge technologies aim to offer their patients an excellent medical service with a human approach. It was the first hospital outside the United States to be part of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, thus promoting collaboration between physicians to improve medical care for all their patients in Mexico. It is certified by the General Health Council, validating the quality and safety in the medical care of its patients and families. It has been certified by Trace International, ensuring that its background and policies meet the highest international ethical and anti-bribery standards. It also has the Joint Commission International (JCI) Certification, an international, external and independent evaluation of the quality and safety of health services, granted to Médica Sur since 2014. In 2021 it received the Newsweek recognition with the #1 ranking as the best hospital in Mexico. It has been listed on the Mexican Stock Exchange since 1994 (MEDICA).