GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Medicago (privately held) have announced positive results for their plant-based COVID-19 vaccine, and have submitted the data to the Food and Drug Administration for approval. This is the world’s first plant-based coronavirus vaccine. The vaccine was 75% effective in preventing infections by the delta variant, roughly in line with other major vaccines. The World Health Organization was enthusiastic about the results, saying that “plant-derived vaccines have several advantages.” They can be “produced cheaply in large amounts” using crops like corn or potatoes. The antigens that are created that produce an immune response in the body “are stable and can be stored for long periods of time.”
