Horseshoe crab blood to be utilised by Swiss pharmaceutical Lonza for COVID-19 vaccine

As per reports, Swiss multinational, chemicals, and biotechlogy company Lonza, will manufacture a Covid-19 vaccine with horseshoe crab blood this month. Horseshoe crab blood is used by several pharmaceuticals because it contains a natural source of Limulus amebocyte lysate, a substance that helps to detect presence of a contaminant called endotoxin. This contaminant is capable of making its way into vaccines, injectable drugs, or or sterile pharmaceuticals such as artificial knees and hips. presence of endotoxins in drugs can severely dam human health. Hence it is necessary to use horseshoe crab blood to detect its presence.

ALSO RE: oronavirus Vaccines Need To Have 50% Efficacy In Preventing Infection: US FDA

Horseshoe crab blood uses:

Horseshoe crab blood has several uses in dition to detecting Endotoxin. Some of uses of horseshoe crab blood are:

1. Horseshoe crab blood can be used to test anything that is surgically implanted.
2. It can be used to test any materials that have been injected into body.
3. It can be used to test something that has been swallowed by an individual.
4. Some of things that can be tested by using horseshoe crab blood are hip replacements, heart stents, pharmaceuticals, and vaccines such as annual flu vaccine.
   

    

How is horseshoe crab blood harvested?

Horseshoe crabs are largely found at beaches across mid-Atlantic U.S. during full-moon spring nights. Horseshoe crabs primarily arrive at U.S. mid-Atlantic beaches to lay ir eggs. Every year, pharmaceutical companies arrive at mid-Atlantic beaches during full-moon springs. During this time, horseshoe crabs are collected and bled, following which y are returned to oceans. Are you wondering ‘how much blood does horseshoe crab have?’ On aver, a small ult horseshoe crab can provide 50 ml of blood whereas a large female horseshoe crab can provide a maximum of 400 ml blood.

ALSO RE: AstraZeneca Says Brazil Close To Coronavirus Vaccine Deal

Disvants & consequences of using horseshoe crab blood:

According to National Geographic,  use of horseshoe crab blood has following disvants & consequences:

• Horseshoe crab blood is quite expensive. approximate horseshoe crab blood price is $60,000 per gallon.
• process of catching crabs and harvesting ir blood is quite time-consuming.
• To obtain horseshoe crab blood, horseshoe crabs are collected and bled, following which y are returned to oceans. Several crabs often die after y are returned to ocean.
• Furr, due to increasing demand for drugs and vaccines, several horseshoe crabs are being killed. Due to this, species is w severely endangered.
• Endangerment of horseshoe crabs disrupts food chain as several cornucopia birds rely on m for food.

ALSO RE: China To Run Large-scale 'Phase 3' Clinical Trial Of Its Coronavirus Vaccine In UAE

A statement given by director of Nature Conservancy in New Jersey:

In a statement given to a media portal, Barbara Brummer, state director for Nature Conservancy in New Jersey expressed her thoughts about use of horseshoe crabs in pharmaceutical industry. Barbara Brummer seemed to be dissatisfied with excessive reliance of pharmaceuticals on horseshoe crabs. Furr, she also mentioned that pharmaceutical companies all across world relied on horseshoe crabs.

ALSO RE: France Pledges Funding UK Begins Coronavirus Vaccine Trial

All Im Source: Shutterstock