Archivel's Ruti® vaccine begins clinical trial to increase the immunity of healthcare professionals exposed to Covid-19

The General Directorate of Research and Innovation in Health of the Government of Catalonia will finance a clinical trial to study the protective effect of Ruti®, developed by Archivel Farma, on SARS-CoV-2 in healthcare professionals at high risk of contagion.

Ruti® is one of the most advanced therapeutic vaccine worldwide for different tuberculosis indications.

The trial will consist of administering Ruti® to 200 professionals and comparing the rate of infection and the clinical evolution of the infection with a group of 100 untreated professionals. The project will be led by Dr. Pere-Joan Cardona, biomedical researcher at the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), with the collaboration of the University Institute for Primary Health Care Research Jordi Gol (IDIAP JGol).

There are currently two similar clinical trials underway in Netherlands and Australia. Both use BCG, the only available prophylactic vaccine against tuberculosis, which was discovered more than 100 years ago. Ruti® has demonstrated in several studies a more safety profile and more potent modulation of the immune response than BCG.

For Olga Rué, CEO of Archivel (member of CataloniaBio & HealthTech), “the grant given by the Catalan government in this call is a recognition of the work of the entire team over the last 15 years and the potential of Ruti® for a new indication and in the management of the Covid-19 crisis."

Apart from Archivel, the Health Department has announced that it will allocate €4 million to 19 research and innovation projects against Covid-19 in collaboration with the Catalan Agency for Health Quality and Assessment (AQuAS) and Biocat.

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