EFE.- Birmex, a pharmaceutical company of the Mexican State, will produce an equine serum, made with antibodies generated in horses, to treat Covid-19 patients, the company reported on Thursday in a statement.
The entity stated that it began inoculating the horses with an antigen developed by the Institute of Biotechnology (IBT) of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) with the expectation of applying the first serum to humans in 2022.
The new serum, known as hyperimmune, will be able to be applied to patients with moderate to severe Covid-19 to block the ability of the virus in human cells, break the cycle of infection and prevent complications from the disease.
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“The antibodies are harvested from the equine’s blood plasma to continue with the purification, concentration, packaging and lyophilization processes. Finally, the serum obtained will be distributed to hospitals for application to people affected by Covid-19, ”explained Birmex.
The production is announced as Mexico accumulates almost 3.7 million confirmed cases of Covid-19 and more than 280,000 deaths, the fourth highest figure in the world.
A similar equine serum was developed last January in Argentina, where it has already been distributed to Covid-19 patients, which showed a 45% reduction in mortality, and a 24% reduction in the days required for intensive therapy, according to the study. clinical.
In Mexico, the IBT of the UNAM developed an experimental serum that will be applied to horses donated by the Secretariat of National Defense (Sedena).
“It is worth mentioning that this process does not put the health of donor horses at risk, since the Institutional Committee for the Care of Laboratory Animals (Cicual) of Birmex monitors the observance of the principles of respect and well-being of these noble animals” , said the state company.
The first preclinical tests of the Mexican serum will be carried out in December.
Birmex boasted of its “extensive experience in the production of hyperimmune serums of equine origin”, which for now are used in treatments for ailments such as poisonings from snake bites or scorpion stings.
The Mexican government has set itself the goal of having a national production of medicines and vaccines against Covid-19.
The state-owned company produced a test batch of the Russian Sputnik V drug last July, while private companies package the Chinese CanSino vaccine and the British AstraZeneca vaccine in Mexico.
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