Owensboro company working on coronavirus vaccine

OWENSBORO, Ky. (WFIE) - The coronavirus is a worldwide concern, but the answer may come from right here at home.

An Owensboro company is working to help stop the spread.

Officials with Kentucky BioProcessing say they hope to have a coronavirus vaccine available for testing in the next few weeks.

A spokesperson for Kentucky BioProcessing’s parent company says the company played a role in developing a drug treatment in the 2014 Ebola outbreak.

Spokesperson Kaelan Hollon sent us this statement:

“RAI operating company Kentucky BioProcessing, Inc. , known as KBP, has in the past worked with another company and the government to develop a drug treatment for the Ebola virus. In addition, we have contacted HHS Secretary Azar about KBP and its potential to assist the government on this new virus, as it did with Ebola. KBP is in the process of developing a vaccine candidate that we hope to have available for testing within the next few weeks. RAI Group and its subsidiary KBP are pleased to be able to make this effort to, hopefully, contribute to the effort to address this important public health issue.”

[Previous Story: CEO talks about KY company that developed Ebola treatment]

Kentucky BioProcessing is on Airpark Drive in Owensboro.

According to their website, the company develops and executes processes to transform tobacco plants into “biomanufacturing plants” that efficiently produce proteins they would not otherwise produce.

Greater Owensboro Chamber Executive Director Candance Brake says work like this continues to help put Owensboro on the map.

“This is another example of how agriculture and innovation really are at home here in Greater Owensboro," said Brake. "KBP shows how agriculture and plant-based solutions can truly make and address some of the scary things our world faces today.”

Hollon says KPB will hopefully have a vaccine candidate ready within the next few weeks for testing.

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