CanSino Biologics has developed an anti-Covid vaccine (Convidecia) administered by injection in a single dose with technology comparable to that of Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca. Alongside this injectable version, CanSino has developed an inhalable version of this vaccine with the same formulation based on adenovirus. Pierre Morgon, vaccine specialist and director of the Swiss subsidiary of the company, explains the specificities of this mucosal vaccine and CanSino’s plans for Switzerland.

“With injectable vaccines, we obtain the production of antibodies circulating in the blood, in particular IgG, which block the virus. But they do not prevent viral replication and infection since these occur in the respiratory tract. The mucous membranes have another type of antibody, IgA, that injectable vaccines produce in small quantities. An inhaled vaccine generates the production of all three types of antibodies.”

The GGBa and the Directorate General for Economic Development, Research and Innovation of the Canton of Geneva supported CanSino in opening a subsidiary in Western Switzerland to carry out its developments in Europe. CanSino should take a year for the trials and another year for the regulatory process.

By settling in Geneva, the company is also seeking to get closer to the WHO, the GAVI Vaccine Alliance and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. CanSino is also developing a tuberculosis vaccine administered by inhalation.

If you’re curious to know why Michelle describes Lucerne as a hidden gem in one of the most sophisticated economies of the world, this interview shares Lucerne’s and Switzerland’s strengths. 

In closing, Michelle passionately exclaims: “Switzerland offers businesses a ‘great package’ and Lucerne knows how to deliver it!”

This interview is part of the Swiss Consulate of New York’s highly reputed "Chat with the Ambassador" series, watch the entire interview here.

Oviva, a company based in Altendorf in the canton of Schwyz, uses artificial intelligence (AI) to provide nutritional advice. Subscribers aiming to become healthier through a Mediterranean diet can take pictures of their meals and drinks in an app. Stavroula Mougiakakou from the University of Bern commented in a press release by Oviva: “The analytical system not only recognizes the individual foods and estimates the portion size, it also calculates the degree to which the individual adheres to a Mediterranean diet on a weekly basis.”

This AI-based system was developed and tested within a joint research project between the digital health company Oviva, the ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research at the University of Bern, and the University of Zurich’s Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute. The automated function aims to motivate patients to actively work on their eating habits over the long term. It should additionally ease the burden on nutritional specialists, prevent diet-related illnesses, and save on healthcare expenditure. The research paper was recently published in the specialist journal Nature Scientific Reports.

Individuals can also use Oviva’s app to record their physical activity and weight. Furthermore, it can be used for regular exchanges with nutritional specialists and provides users with educational content. According to the information provided, Oviva works together with statutory health insurers and national healthcare systems. It is active in Switzerland, Germany, the United Kingdom, and France.

The UCB Plant in Bulle, Canton of Fribourg, developed from an allergy therapeutics manufacturing plant to servicing three therapeutic areas globally and managing three different technology platforms. UCB’s successful relationship with Switzerland has started as early as 1986 when the global biopharma company set up an affiliate here to develop and manufacture allergy treatments. Their first Swiss-made product turned out to be a gamechanger and helped drive the company’s growth. We talked with Nicolas Tièche, Head of Bulle Site at UCB:

We have been in Switzerland since 1986 when we opened a commercial affiliate to develop and manufacture allergy treatments. The first Swiss-made product was the antihistamine Zyrtec (cetirizine), which turned out to be a gamechanger for UCB. This helped to drive our growth - Zyrtec was the right product at the right time to start manufacturing activities at industrial scale in Switzerland.

Fortunately, we had all the land that we needed and a large network of service providers. The specific advantages of Switzerland were the vibrant and stable local ecosystem, with a large number of biopharma companies and a talent pool where UCB could find the right expertise. Of course, the exceptional quality of life means that nobody ever complains about having to move to Switzerland, and we now employ 25 nationalities. In short, all the necessary ingredients were here.

Although we have had a few difficult moments, we have shown resilience, and in the face of loss of exclusivities we have managed to stay competitive. This continued resilience has also been a factor in our success and continued expansion.

To read the full interview please click here.