Those requests were largely ignored as the government assembled a vaccine task force to help it make funding decisions. Canadian officials never came through with a similarly firm commitment to help Providence, Sorenson said. Based on the advice of the vaccine task force, federal officials have made a $173 million commitment to help Quebec City-based Medicago produce its version of a COVID-19 vaccine. Quebec City-based Medicago’s plant-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate is now in Phase 3 clinical trials. Two of the 10 members of the vaccine task force worked as Sanofi executives, while another worked with GSK and Sanofi in a senior role.

Source: CBC News April 30, 2021 20:15 UTC