Evidence of meeting #23 for Health in the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was virus.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Full Professor, Department of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Medical Microbiologist and Epidemiologist, CHU Sainte-Justine, As an Individual
I think what Dalhousie is starting is really a phase one study, which is exactly to look at what you're talking about in terms of safety.
I think people have been in high gear about bringing the pre-human candidate vaccine to first-in-human trials because that's when it becomes very important.
It would be too quick if we were launching a phase three study or we were going to make this vaccine available for public use, but to have it in phase one, I think is perfect.
Conservative
Tamara Jansen Conservative Cloverdale—Langley City, BC
As part of the government task force, can you tell me whether you see any ethical problems in working with CanSino Biologics on the vaccine that's being developed jointly with People's Liberation Army?
Full Professor, Department of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Medical Microbiologist and Epidemiologist, CHU Sainte-Justine, As an Individual
I did not think about that particular aspect of things.
The vaccine is actually being tested at Dalhousie under the CIRN group, not under the immunity task force. I think we want to test all vaccines that could be helpful for Canadians.
Conservative
Tamara Jansen Conservative Cloverdale—Langley City, BC
Right.
Do you think we should be working with a company that's foreign, rather than developing the vaccine with a Canadian company?
Full Professor, Department of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Medical Microbiologist and Epidemiologist, CHU Sainte-Justine, As an Individual
I think there is some research that's happening in Quebec City with a Canadian vaccine. I would hope that vaccine would also make it to the front-runner line for testing.
Conservative
Tamara Jansen Conservative Cloverdale—Langley City, BC
I guess my concern is specifically about the partnership right now with CanSino, as until a few days ago, they hadn't published any of their findings for peer review.
I'm worried about going forward with human trials at Dalhousie. Can I have your thoughts on that?
Full Professor, Department of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Medical Microbiologist and Epidemiologist, CHU Sainte-Justine, As an Individual
We now have, if I'm not mistaken, published data in The Lancet, which makes it—
Conservative
Full Professor, Department of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Medical Microbiologist and Epidemiologist, CHU Sainte-Justine, As an Individual
Correct.
Conservative
Tamara Jansen Conservative Cloverdale—Langley City, BC
We haven't had a lot of time to really look at any findings. I am wondering why we are going so quickly, if it was only published on Friday.
Full Professor, Department of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Medical Microbiologist and Epidemiologist, CHU Sainte-Justine, As an Individual
I suspect that the researchers at Dalhousie had some insight into the data. I would hope....
Conservative
Tamara Jansen Conservative Cloverdale—Langley City, BC
Okay.
The National Research Council signed a non-exclusive agreement with CanSino to use the HEK293 cell line to produce this vaccine. I think that was a number of years ago. As such, we don't anticipate any revenue from CanSino's use of this Canadian technology.
Is that correct?
Full Professor, Department of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Medical Microbiologist and Epidemiologist, CHU Sainte-Justine, As an Individual
I could not tell you. I don't know.
Conservative
Tamara Jansen Conservative Cloverdale—Langley City, BC
The intellectual property for this vaccine belongs to CanSino, so they will be able to make their own decisions as to where they supply the vaccine. That is my understanding.
Is that correct?
Full Professor, Department of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Medical Microbiologist and Epidemiologist, CHU Sainte-Justine, As an Individual
You know more than I do. I don't know about the intellectual property. I haven't looked at it.
Conservative
Tamara Jansen Conservative Cloverdale—Langley City, BC
Even though Canada is partnering with them, would they have any obligation to supply to us?
Full Professor, Department of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Medical Microbiologist and Epidemiologist, CHU Sainte-Justine, As an Individual
I don't know. Hopefully, but I don't know.
Conservative
Tamara Jansen Conservative Cloverdale—Langley City, BC
Why are we working with a company that's clearly in bed with a communist regime? Isn't it a no-brainer that they will be supplying their own country with the vaccine first?
Full Professor, Department of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Medical Microbiologist and Epidemiologist, CHU Sainte-Justine, As an Individual
Sorry, I lost you there. Could you give me the end of your question, because you froze on my screen?
Conservative
Tamara Jansen Conservative Cloverdale—Langley City, BC
I'm just worried that they will be supplying their own country with the vaccine first.
Full Professor, Department of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Medical Microbiologist and Epidemiologist, CHU Sainte-Justine, As an Individual
Possibly, but hopefully when Dalhousie decided to do this trial with the NRC, there was some impetus to also provide the vaccine to Canadians.
Conservative
Tamara Jansen Conservative Cloverdale—Langley City, BC
I'm a bit concerned. If we want Canadians to take this vaccine, why are we working with a communist regime? We've seen the quality of the PPE they produced under pressure, and it keeps failing time and again. I don't get why we think we can trust that it will be a safe vaccine when we're doing this all in such a hurry.
Full Professor, Department of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Medical Microbiologist and Epidemiologist, CHU Sainte-Justine, As an Individual
We tend, as scientists, to believe that science is science, that if we do good clinical trials and if this vaccine were to be approved, Health Canada would do its work in looking at the quality of the vaccine produced and not just—
Conservative
Tamara Jansen Conservative Cloverdale—Langley City, BC
Like I say, if you look at the PPE, it's really concerning.
I understand that the HEK293 cell line that they will be using was developed in 1973 from an aborted embryo. Is that correct?
Full Professor, Department of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Medical Microbiologist and Epidemiologist, CHU Sainte-Justine, As an Individual
Possibly. I haven't looked at the vaccine itself.