An experimental Covid-19 vaccine developed by cigarette maker British American Tobacco Plc is poised to begin testing in humans.
Pre-clinical tests of the vaccine showed a positive immune response, the London-based maker of Lucky Strike cigarettes said [May 15] in a statement. The first phase of human trials could begin as soon as late June if authorized by drug regulators, BAT said.
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BAT subsidiary Kentucky BioProcessing uses tobacco plants in making the experimental vaccine, which is derived from the genetic sequence of Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid. According to BAT, the method generates the vaccine faster than conventional approaches, reducing the time required from several months to about six weeks.