According to the newspaper Folha de S.Paulo, Brazil‘s Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (​Fiocruz) was selected by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the center in Latin America for the development and production of an RNA vaccine at the preclinical stage.

The vaccine candidate is based on self-replicating RNA technology (the same one used in Pfizer‘s and Moderna‘s immunizers), and expresses not only Spike protein, but also N protein, for better immune response. Once developed, the vaccine will undergo WHO’s pre-qualification process, which ensures compliance with the highest international standards to ensure its quality, safety, and efficacy.

The worldwide call for this selection was launched in April this year. About 30 Latin American companies and entities signed up. Fiocruz was selected through its Institute of Technology in Immunobiologicals (Bio-Manguinhos/Fiocruz).