PH Embassy in Brussels Explores Partnership Potential with Belgian Research Team Developing COVID-19 Vaccine
Philippine Embassy in Brussels’ officials with key officials of the Research Team working on the Regavax (corona) during their visit to the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation of the Rega Institute of KU of Leuven on 17 June 2020. From left: Consul Charles Andrei Macaspac, Ms. Esthel Van Brackel, Professor Johan Neyts, Philippine Ambassador to Belgium Eduardo José A. de Vega, Dr. Kai Dallmeier, Honorary Consul-Designate Ronny de Blaere and Cultural Officer Liza Jane Estalilla. (Brussels PE photo)
BRUSSELS 24 June 2020 – Philippine Ambassador to Belgium Eduardo José A. de Vega, together with Consul Charles Andrei P. Macaspac, Cultural Officer Liza Jane Estalilla, and incoming Honorary Consul for the Flanders Region Ronny De Blaere met in Leuven on 17 June 2020 with officials of the Neyts Lab of Virology, Antiviral Drug and Vaccine Research, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Katholieke Universiteit (KU) Leuven, who are attempting to develop a safe and efficient vaccine for the COVID-19 virus.
The Embassy Team was welcomed at the Rega Institute of KU Leuven by Professor of Virology and President of the International Society for Antiviral Research Professor Johan Neyts, PhD; Head of Contact Tracing for Belgium, Associate Professor of Medicine, KU Leuven, and former Spokesperson of Belgium’s inter-federal crisis center who led the daily press briefings on the COVID-19 situation in Belgium Dr. Emmanuel André; Group Leader of the Molecular Vaccinology and Vaccine Discovery of the Rega Institute Dr. Kai Dallmeier, PhD; Director of Vaccine Clinical Development Esthel Van Brackel; and Business Development Coordinator, Leuven R&D Bart Geers,
The Rega Institute is currently developing the RegaVax(corona), a live attenuated reagent developed in cultured cells that is based on the yellow fever vaccine, which has been safely used on 800 million people over 80 years.
Professor Neyts emphasized that what sets their research apart from others is the fact that they are conducting tedious and extensive animal research without rushing into immediate human testing.
He added that they are targeting for the vaccine to only require one shot as opposed to two or three shots, which would be more manageable for health authorities to implement in terms of budget and logistics.
If their animal testing will not encounter any catastrophic failures in the coming months, the Research Team is targeting the end of 2020 to begin Phase 1 of human trials with 50 to 100 healthy volunteers in Belgium. They indicated that if Phase 1 proves to be successful, they will hopefully begin with Phase 2 onward by early 2021 and will need a total of 2,000 healthy volunteers from different countries which may include the Philippines.
The research team in fact showed a considerable interest in the Philippines and said that they are also developing drugs for rabies and dengue, which they know are prevalent in the country. They are also aware of the problems encountered with the previous Dengvaxia vaccinations and promised to pay extra attention on safety in case they partner with Filipino scientists to conduct vaccine trials in the Philippines.
“Belgium and the Philippines share special historical links and it would be another milestone if our experts could work together to benefit all humankind,” said Ambassador de Vega. END
Dr. Kai Dallmeier, PhD, Group Leader of the Molecular Vaccinology and Vaccine Discovery of the Rega Institute of the KU Leuven presents to Embassy officials the development stages of their research on the Regavax (corona) as a potent Covid-19 vaccine candidate. (Brussels PE photo)
Professor Johan Neyts (second from right) shows the Philippine Embassy in Brussels Team the various HIV drugs developed at the Rega Institute of KU Leuven that are now being administered to HIV patients. (Brussels PE photo)
For more information, visit https://www.brusselspe.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/PHinBelgium/.