The National Vaccine Institute (NVI) says a tobacco leaf-based vaccine against Covid-19 is in an early stage of development and does not yet require government support.
The institute issued the clarification on Saturday in response to remarks by Thiravat Hemachudha, head of the Thai Red Cross Emerging Infectious Disease Health Science Centre.
Dr Thiravat was mentioned in an interview questioning the NVI for saying that work on the tobacco leaf-based vaccine was costly and was not receiving support from the government.
The head of the centre reportedly said the institute was in no position to make such a statement because it has done nothing with regard to the vaccine's development.
The NVI, meanwhile, said it was informed by the Baiyaphytopharm company that it was experimenting with the vaccine's development.
The company said it wished to absorb the cost of the experiment itself.
However, if the process goes well, the company said it will seek government support to expand the work.
The company also said it was now at a point where animals were being tested and that more research will be undertaken with clinical trials to be conducted on humans.
The institute added it has worked with Baiyaphytopharm and the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Chulalongkorn University to produce the vaccine.
The institute said it was looking to request funds to finance research and development from the government loan earmarked for tackling the Covid-19 pandemic. Further details were unavailable.
The budget request will be submitted to the cabinet through Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.
Last month, Dr Thiravat warned the country should begin preparing for possible "genetic code alterations" of the novel coronavirus that causes Covid-19.
