This became clear when a Mpumalangabased biotechnology company that developed a biopharmaceutical it claims inhibits the growth of the Covid-19 coronavirus, was given a cold shoulder by the national Department of Health (DoH) and the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), respectively.
In the early days of Covid-19 in March 2020, the company reached out to the two above-mentioned departments to inform them of a potential Covid-19
pharmaceutical intervention in the form of a biopharmaceutical drug.
The company also reached out to the Medical Research Council, which escalated the matter to the DSI.
The founder of the biotech company, who wished to remain anonymous in fear of victimisation, said, “We approached the DSI with a proposition in March to collaborate on generating in vivo data and conduct pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies that would eventually culminate in clinical studies. This was the first prize.
“Alternatively, we would have settled for funding aimed at developing these already existing potential solutions at the time. However, our requests were met with an attitude of belittlement. Instead, a senior official intimated that it is highly unlikely that we have a drug that fits the criteria. Our
understanding was that SARS-CoV-2 was, and still is, a novel virus, therefore, any medical intervention that can be subjected to scientific scrutiny would receive top priority.”
The founder further explained, “Our correspondence with the DSI and DoH has given us the impression that only certain companies and people are touted to
bring Covid-19 solutions, especially from a pharmaceutical front. We approached government 10 months ago with a potential solution, but they turned us away and yet they still have nothing to show for it. All the while people are dying and livelihoods are being destroyed.”
The founder went as far as to point out that results of the study conducted validates that the biopharmaceutical drug has the ability to inhibit the growth of Covid-19.
“We had to fund the study ourselves due to unwillingness to assist. The study validated that the biopharmaceutical drug has the ability to inhibit the growth of Covid-19. The study was conducted by CSIR in October,” said the founder.
READ: Mpumalanga to receive Covid-19 vaccine tomorrow
The conclusion of the study as seen by Mpumalanga News reads as follows: “The extract showed activity in vitro against the two coronaviruses tested. The ID50 (inhibitory dilution 50) of the extract was 4 347 and 4 695 against SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV respectively. In addition the extract did not show cytotoxicity to Vero cells used in the study as target cells. We found the extract’s TI (Therapeutic Index) against both viruses to be at least 1 000 and possibly much higher, which is desirable for drug candidates. Thus, the extract tested can be declared active against SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV, in vitro.”
The founder continued, “As a citizenry, we have repeatedly been given the impression that a vaccination strategy is the quintessential approach to beating the pandemic that we are currently experiencing.
I take issue with the former. It is misleading; there are alternative pharmaceutical strategies that also provide therapeutic recourse.
I believe that these are important, especially in cases where exposure and infection have transpired. I also highlight ‘therapeutic’ as it has not yet been proven
that the vaccines on offer are prophylactic.
There is also a new virus strain that has emerged. The new strain possibly poses a challenge to traditional vaccine development strategies and there are uncertainties as to whether the current consignment will be effective against it.
“In 2015, a study was conducted by the CSIR. They measured the neutralising activity of the biopharmaceutical drug against three different strains of HIV-1
pseudovirions using an in vitro Luciferase Reporter Gene Assay in TZMbl cells.
The conclusion suggested that the biopharmaceutical drug showed neutralising activity against the three variants, respectively.
