Chula U to raise 500 million baht for factory to produce Thailand’s COVID-19 vaccine

 

 

Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University will launch a campaign this Friday to encourage members of the public to donate in support of an ambitious project for the development and production of Thailand’s domestically developed COVID-19 vaccine, to be produced from tobacco leaves.

 

The Chula university’s rector, Dr. Bundhit Eua-arporn, told a news conference this morning (Tuesday), at Chula Enterprise, that the vaccine project is a joint effort by Chulalongkorn University, Baiya Phytopharm Company, the Government Pharmaceutical Organization and Kingen Biotech Company. A memorandum of understanding for the joint research, development and production of the vaccine is to be signed soon.

 

The campaign intends to raise 500 million baht in seed money, from a million donors, to build a factory to produce the anti-viral vaccine for the Thai people, said Dr. Bundhit, adding that the donors will have privileged access to the vaccine, once the vaccine has been approved for use and distribution, in line with the laws or regulations.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/chula-u-to-raise-500-million-baht-for-factory-to-produce-thailands-covid-19-vaccine/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2020-12-15

 

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13 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

to be produced from tobacco leaves.

they sell medallions too ?

Why doesn't the Government give them all of the money?

 

As "Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the ministry has set aside 150 million baht to fund this vaccine project, even though it may not be successful “but it is worth the trial as we will gain experience and technology”.  However, he is optimistic the project will be a success.".  Sounds like he is not 100% on board to me

Edited December 15, 20205 yr by ThailandRyan

But other vax are for $3, with phase 4 research. China gave already to indonesia 2mln vials for $13.60. That vax was already given since June to chinese army, medical personell, as well as students, businessmen and workers travelling abroad. Now probably over milion doses. 
 

who is going to pay 500b for vax, which is not going to work?
 

they have managed to convince the government to give them 150mln. The government do realise, that it is burned money. 

 

Now they should have to open charity and not fool donors, that they will be the first in the que.

But really it’s governments resposibility

Edited December 15, 20205 yr by internationalism

23 minutes ago, internationalism said:

But other vax are for $3, with phase 4 research. China gave already to indonesia 2mln vials for $13.60. That vax was already given since June to chinese army, medical personell, as well as students, businessmen and workers travelling abroad. Now probably over milion doses. 
 

who is going to pay 500b for vax, which is not going to work?
 

they have managed to convince the government to give them 150mln. The government do realise, that it is burned money. 

 

Now they should have to open charity and not fool donors, that they will be the first in the que.

But really it’s governments resposibility

Because “Thai people.”

 

Thailand obviously wants to throw their name in the ring as a country making a vaccine, even if no one uses it. It will make great headlines... in Thailand.

3 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

an ambitious project

 

3 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

to be produced from tobacco leaves.

I thought the Health minister said months ago Thailand had a vaccine

that would be ready in a few weeks, then nothing...was I dreaming or

was he ?

regards worgeordie

I don't get the vaccine nationalism. We've already got three or four vaccines. Put the money in those.

Quote

the factory will be able to produce about one million doses of the vaccine annuall

The vaccine needs 2 doses. Thailand population is 70 millions.
So they need 140 years to vaccinate all thais...

 

That looks more like a scam but they are not smart enough to give bigger numbers. They should have asked TAT before...
 

You couldn't make this nonsense up, they are unbelievable.... 

Maybe they could switch from tobacco leaves to Marijuana leaves , might not work, but the take up for the vaccine would be extraordinarily high and the receivers of the jab too stoned to care.

"the donors will have privileged access to the vaccine, once the vaccine has been approved for use and distribution, in line with the laws or regulations"

 

Bribing investors with a promise to jump the queue?

6 hours ago, Jingthing said:

I don't get the vaccine nationalism. We've already got three or four vaccines. Put the money in those.

I think that is what they are basically doing.  I think some companies are making their formula public so Thailand will probably just copy one of those.  It's probably not that different to how generic drugs are made. 

 

This is probably mostly about manufacturing it, which is supposely not that easy and expensive to do in large volumes.  Thailand does have some experience there so it's probably not a bad idea.

Edited December 15, 20205 yr by shdmn

Part of Thailand's Baht strength problem is according to them their HUGE Foreign reserves, well give the University 500 Mill Baht, lower the foreign reserves, why should the PUBLIC stump up when the Govt is rolling in foreign CASH 

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University will launch a campaign this Friday to encourage members of the public to donate in support of an ambitious project for the development and production of Thailand’s domestically developed COVID-19 vaccine, to be produced from tobacco leaves.

Why does this remind me of the story yesterday:

'Thai business woman says she was defrauded of 42 million baht by medium'

4 hours ago, shdmn said:

I think that is what they are basically doing.  I think some companies are making their formula public so Thailand will probably just copy one of those.  It's probably not that different to how generic drugs are made. 

 

This is probably mostly about manufacturing it, which is supposely not that easy and expensive to do in large volumes.  Thailand does have some experience there so it's probably not a bad idea.

 

No, this is clearly not the case from the original article.   The Thai vaccine will be made from genetically modified plants (if this ever actually occurs).  None of the other current vaccines use anything like this technology.

 

 The manufacturing steps for isolating injectable proteins from plant leaves have nothing in common  at all with making mRNA  ( basis of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines ) which is a chemical synthesis, or making large quantities of viruses  ( basis of Russian Sputnik and Oxford AstraZeneca vaccines) by growing huge amounts of mammalian cells in culture. 

 

The world needs as many working vaccines as possible, so all efforts are worthwhile.   However this potential plant produced vaccine has never been tested on a single human subject, and there is no indication at all that it will be successful at even raising an immune response.  They are many years from needing a factory!

1 minute ago, partington said:

 

No, this is clearly not the case from the original article.   The Thai vaccine will be made from genetically modified plants (if this ever actually occurs).  None of the other current vaccines use anything like this technology.

 

 The manufacturing steps for isolating injectable proteins from plant leaves have nothing in common  at all with making mRNA  ( basis of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines ) which is a chemical synthesis, or making large quantities of viruses  ( basis of Russian Sputnik and Oxford AstraZeneca vaccines) by growing huge amounts of mammalian cells in culture. 

 

The world needs as many working vaccines as possible, so all efforts are worthwhile.   However this potential plant produced vaccine has never been tested on a single human subject, and there is no indication at all that it will be successful at even raising an immune response.  They are many years from needing a factory!

'The Thai vaccine will be made from genetically modified plants'   That makes me think of the most dangerous company in the world, Monsanto (now taken over by Bayer)

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

an ambitious project for the development and production of Thailand’s domestically developed COVID-19 vaccine, to be produced from tobacco leaves.

 

Thailand's leading scientists show us how the new vaccine is prepared...

 

 

Oxford University pays acceptable salaries to academics and can attract talent from over the world. They decided to team up with Astra Zeneca and now have a vaccine. Chula pays peanuts and can only hire local talent, preferable those with private incomes. They don't team up with anyone. Even the Thai government won't fund them and they can't get enough funds of their own, despite being a very wealthy university owning prime real estate in Bangkok. They try to go it alone. Chula likes to announce that it has made huge break throughs in Ebola vaccine, COVID treatment, COVID vaccine.  Then nothing is ever heard again after the initial press releases.

 

Zero credibility.  Just noise. Don't send them your money.

Tobacco in Thailand is controlled by a government monopoly so producing a vaccine from tobacco leaves would be taxable.

 

 

 

16 hours ago, Jingthing said:

I don't get the vaccine nationalism. We've already got three or four vaccines. Put the money in those.

They've already been ordered, it's just a matter of waiting for delivery.

6 hours ago, partington said:

 

No, this is clearly not the case from the original article.   The Thai vaccine will be made from genetically modified plants (if this ever actually occurs).  None of the other current vaccines use anything like this technology.

 

 The manufacturing steps for isolating injectable proteins from plant leaves have nothing in common  at all with making mRNA  ( basis of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines ) which is a chemical synthesis, or making large quantities of viruses  ( basis of Russian Sputnik and Oxford AstraZeneca vaccines) by growing huge amounts of mammalian cells in culture. 

 

The world needs as many working vaccines as possible, so all efforts are worthwhile.   However this potential plant produced vaccine has never been tested on a single human subject, and there is no indication at all that it will be successful at even raising an immune response.  They are many years from needing a factory!

Has it even been tested on a single animal subject?

1 hour ago, ukrules said:

They've already been ordered, it's just a matter of waiting for delivery.

Not enough doses.

Thailand has a population of around 70 million.

 

Assuming everybody else donates if Chula would like to pop round they can have my 7 Baht now.

4 hours ago, Oliver Holzerfilled said:

Has it even been tested on a single animal subject?

Mice, monkeys. Raises antibodies apparently.

On 12/16/2020 at 3:59 AM, BlueScouse said:

"the donors will have privileged access to the vaccine, once the vaccine has been approved for use and distribution, in line with the laws or regulations"

 

Bribing investors with a promise to jump the queue?

People with that kind of money don't bother "jumping" anything. It's delivered to them on a golden platter. 

On 12/15/2020 at 10:36 PM, Olivie said:

The vaccine needs 2 doses. Thailand population is 70 millions.
So they need 140 years to vaccinate all thais...

 

That looks more like a scam but they are not smart enough to give bigger numbers. They should have asked TAT before...
 

 

The first year passes only for the construction of the plant and the planting of the machinery, which is why it will be only one million doses and that is very optimistic in just one year making the first doses will already be a success, I assume that in the second year the plant will produce at full efficiency for tens or thirty of millions of vaccines.

It is only scandalous that the government does not invest directly but that the population is being asked to participate.

 

 

Edited December 18, 20205 yr by ICELANDMAN