Iran’s COVID vaccine fully home-grown, no Chinese, Cuban role involved: SETAD

Iran’s SETAD, an economic conglomerate that owns major pharmaceutical companies, has denied reports that it has used Chinese or Cuban expertise to develop an indigenous vaccine for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

SETAD’s spokesman Hojat Niki Maleki said on Sunday that the COVIRAN Barekat vaccine, a jab that started its first human trial earlier this week, is a fully domestic initiative and a product of the country’s home-grown scientific efforts.

“The coronavirus vaccine developed in the pharma firm affiliated to SETAD is 100% Iranian-made,” said Niki Maleki while dismissing report that SETAD had enjoyed services of Chinese and Cuban companies to develop and manufacture the vaccine.

The spokesman told the ILNA news agency that COVIRAN Barekat would reach a production of 1.5 million doses per month within the next 40 days. He said SETAD is planning to launch a production line for the vaccine in the next six months that would scale up output to 12 million doses per month.

COVIRAN Barekat was unveiled by Shifa Pharmed, a SETAD pharmaceutical company, last Tuesday after it was tested on volunteers for a first time.

Iran in second trial phase for bionational COVID-19 vaccine: Geneticist

A bionational COVID-19 vaccine involving Iran is in its second trial phase, according to a geneticist.

SETAD, an organization also known as the Execution of Imam Khomeini's Order, is a charity fund mostly focused on fighting poverty and helping development initiatives in Iran.

Its home-made vaccine is expected to cover the bulk of efforts to supply COVID-19 vaccines in Iran, a country grappling with a relatively large outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Iranian government has placed orders for other COVID-19 jabs developed in the West and in East Asia.

Iran’s health ministry has also sanctioned a binational scheme to develop a coronavirus vaccine although more details have yet to emerge of the program which is currently in its second trial stage.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk