British American Tobacco (BAT) has announced that its COVID-19 vaccine candidate has been approved for human trials by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The COVID-19 vaccine derived from tobacco leaves is being developed by the company’s biotech arm Kentucky BioProcessing. According to BAT, the vaccine has the potential to be stable at room temperature which could offer significant advantages
“The COVID-19 vaccine candidate (KBP-COVID-19; NCT04473690) will become one of a number of potential vaccines to have progressed beyond pre-clinical testing. […] Results from the study are expected mid-2021 and, if positive, would allow for continued progress into a Phase 2 study, subject to regulatory approval,” BAT said in a press release.
Dr David O’Reilly, BAT’s Director of Scientific Research said: “This is part of our ongoing commitment to innovation and science, which are fundamental to our business. As a company committed to building A Better Tomorrow, we are proud to play our part in the global fight against this virus and – hopefully – we can contribute to the solution.”