MG invests 28 million Rls in health science and technology research – general

MG invests 28 million Rls in health science and technology research - general
The Vaccine Lab at BHTec at the UFMG (Photo: Gladyston Rodrigues/EM/DA Press)
Vaccine Laboratory at BHTec at UFMG (Photo: Gladyston Rodrigues/EM/DA Press)

victory Science! Government the mines On Thursday (15/7) it announced the investment of 28 million Brazilian riyals in science and technology research in Health in the state. The funds will be allocated to the Ezequiel Dias Foundation (Funand the Federal University of Minas GeraisUFMG) to structure research and development laboratories.

The idea was introduced more than five months ago, when the governor said he would not commit Funed to developing a vaccine against COVID-19. While São Paulo and Rio have been certified to produce immunizing agents against the novel coronavirus, the governor in Minas Gerais said the institution is fully committed to manufacturing meningitis C doses. The disease that makes vaccines against COVID-19 is “fixing one problem and creating another”.

Now, he wants to accelerate the development of vaccines and immunological and diagnostic tests for human and veterinary diseases. Examples include cancer, malaria, leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, epidemics and epidemic viral infections such as Zika, chikungunya, dengue, and the emerging coronavirus.

For Governor Romeo Zima, the contribution places the state in a strategic position to combat and combat infectious diseases that affect the lives of millions of miners. “Minas Gerais is taking a leading role in science and in the development and production of vaccine research, as we are creating unprecedented infrastructure at renowned institutions such as UFMG and Funed, which will be able to benefit from important scientific research,” Zima says.

State government investments are driven by the need for advances in health care research. With this, it can meet market demands and apply scientific knowledge to generate high value-added products aimed at solving public health problems.

Investments in Funed

The R$ 28 million made available by the Secretariat for Economic Development (Headquarters), through the Foundation for Research Support of the State of Minas Gerais (Fapemig), will ensure the modifications to the FONID Unit V. In doing so, a transition from technological development to supporting clinical development will be possible, by producing batches of vaccines for clinical studies, meeting the regulatory requirements of national and international bodies.

In addition to producing experimental batches of vaccines for studies, the Foundation will also be able, depending on the project and partnership, to work on formulation development and preparation for product registration with the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa).

This investment enables implementation of one of Funed’s proposed work fronts in vaccine production, the partnership with UFMG in supporting the development and subsequent production of the spintec vaccine.

CTVacinas expansion

UFMG’s Center for Vaccine Technologies (CTVacinas) expansion project will receive an investment of R$30 million. The value is part of the agreement signed between the state government, through the State Secretariat for Economic Development (Headquarters), the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovations (MCTI), this Wednesday (14/7) at a meeting held at the university.

The investment by the Government of Minas Gerais, in the amount of R$12 million made available by Fapemig and R$18 million by the Ministry of Health (SES), allows laboratories to participate and interact in research/development projects between Funed and UFMG, such as the amount invested.

An amount of R$ 30 million will be made available after the completion of the investment of another R$ 50 million by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, through the National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development (FNDCT). The partnership between the state and federal government is worth R$80 million to support the National Vaccine Center.

“It gives us great pleasure to contribute to our state and country through this vaccine center based on the work of CTVacinas at UFMG. I am very grateful for the support provided by the Ministry of Science and Technology as well as the Government of Minas Gerais so that we can do this,” said Dean of the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Sandra Goulart. Working in the light of our society.

By Andrea Hargraves

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