The Autonomous University of Queretaro (UAQ) started on Saturday, March 27 the “Vacunathon”, the donation campaign that seeks the financing of QUIVAX 17.4, the first Mexican vaccine against COVID-19, developed and elaborated by the university.

 

In a virtual press conference, Rector Teresa Garcia Gasca emphasized that 20 million pesos are needed to complete the preclinical phase III and start the human testing phases. During the first day of the Vacunathon, more than 5 million pesos were raised.
Through donations, services, the sale of products made by the university, drive-in movies and art auctions, the “Vacunathon” continues the fight to complete the development of QUIVAX 17.4.
Donation points were set up at the University Center, Esperanza Cabrera Theater, Faculty of Computer Science (Juriquilla), Faculty of Natural Sciences (Juriquilla), COVID Comprehensive Care Clinic, UAQ Dental Clinic, UAQ Airport Campus, UAQ San Del Rio Faculty of Accounting and Faculty of Law, Antea Shopping Center, Plaza Puerta la Victoria, SJR Industrial Club, CANACINTRA SJR.

The Congress of the State of Morelos unanimously approved to financially support the development of the QUIVAX 17.4 vaccine, Jose Luis Galindo Cortez, deputy and vice-president of the board of the congress, urged State Governments, Local Congresses and businessmen to contribute to the development of the Mexican vaccine.

In November 2020, the QUIVAX 17.4 vaccine received support of 3.3 million pesos from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SER), in addition to 2.9 million pesos in donations from the private sector and the company Detección Molecular y Asesoría Analítica donated a bioreactor at a cost of 700,000 pesos.

Since then, the UAQ has not received support from the SRE or the National Council of Science and Technology (CONACyT).
Once the clinical phases have been completed, QUIVAX 17.4 is expected to begin human trials by the end of 2021.

Rector Gasca, pointed out that they will continue insisting to different government agencies and holding events to obtain resources for the development of the vaccine “We have to work hard for this to have the term that we wish, which is that the vaccine can be applied in Mexico and that it can serve the Mexican society”, she said.

 

Source, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)