Bangavax, a Covid-19 vaccine developed by Globe Biotech Limited, became the first pharmaceutical product from the country to receive recognition from the United States (US) as it was granted a US patent.
At a press conference at the company's office, speakers emphasised that securing the patent would allow Bangladesh to position itself among IP-exporting countries, moving beyond its traditional role as an IP importer.
"The patent covers both the Bangavax vaccine and the core technology behind it. Additionally, the company has secured a priority claim from the US Patent Office under the Paris Convention (1883) and other international patent frameworks, ensuring legal certainty in the event of future disputes," Globe Biotech CEO Kakon Nug said.
On 14 September 2021, Globe Biotech filed the patent application. It was officially granted on 26 August this year.
Founded in 2015, Globe Biotech established an advanced laboratory dedicated to the production of biologics, novel drugs, and biosimilars to treat complex diseases such as cancer, arthritis, anemia, hypertension, and autoimmune disorders.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, scientists Kakon Nug and Nazneen Sultana led the efforts to develop Covid-19 detection kits, vaccines, and treatments.
These initiatives culminated in the creation of the Bangavax mRNA vaccine.
In July 2020, the company publicly announced the development of Bangavax, making it the only Covid-19 vaccine developed by a Bangladeshi company.
The vaccine subsequently received clinical trial approval from the Bangladesh Medical Research Council (BMRC) and the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA).
The full coding sequence for the vaccine's target was first published in the US National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database in 2020.
Later, research on Bangavax, described as the world's first single-dose mRNA vaccine effective against Covid-19, was published in the Vaccine journal Elsevier, while the core technology was featured in Scientific Reports, a journal under the UK-based publication Nature.
That same year, the World Health Organization (WHO) included Bangavax in its Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker and Landscape.
Globe Biotech also conducted the first-ever monkey trials for a vaccine in Bangladesh, demonstrating Bangavax's safety and effectiveness.
The company confirmed that the granted patent covers a novel, self-developed mRNA vaccine platform.
Using nanotechnology, Bangavax is currently the world's only single-dose Covid-19 vaccine reported to be effective against multiple variants.
CEO Kakon Nug explained that the patented technology also has the potential to be adapted for developing DNA, subunit/protein, inactivated virus, and recombinant virus vaccines, as well as treatments for cancer, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and blood-related diseases.
Sitesh Chandra Bachar, professor of Pharmacy at the University of Dhaka, said that the single-dose vaccine generated sufficient antibodies during monkey trials. "Stronger government support would have been beneficial and called for closer collaboration between the government and the pharmaceutical industry to advance research initiatives."
Globe Biotech accuses AL government of non-cooperation
Despite their achievements, top officials at Globe Biotech accused the then Awami League government of failing to provide essential support for their ground-breaking work. While no specific details were shared, the company cited administrative delays as a key barrier.
After completing the first phase of clinical trials, Globe Biotech had to wait six months for approval from BMRC for the next phase and over a year for permission to begin human trials. Globe Biotech Chairman Harunur Rashid pointed out that the process should have taken no more than a month.
"By the time the authorities granted permission for human trials, Covid-19 had already peaked, so the human trial could not proceed," said CEO Kakon Nug.
Frustrated by the delays, the company decided to continue its work independently and ultimately achieved international recognition.
He also told Dhaka Stream that due to Bangladesh's weak patent protection laws, the company opted to file for a US patent to ensure stronger intellectual property rights.
"Despite significant progress, ambassadors from 23 countries, including 11 ASEAN nations, had shown interest in Bangavax. However, due to a lack of cooperation from the government, all potential opportunities were lost," he added.
He claimed Globe Biotech could have secured $5 billion in vaccine orders during the pandemic if the government had offered support.
"It seems there was more focus on importing vaccines rather than promoting homegrown products, and as a result, Bangavax was ignored at every level," he said.
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