Covid, Rappuoli: ‘Science brings out the crisis but funds are needed in Italy’

“In Italy you can work at the same pace and with the same international quality. Dedicated structures are needed, there are many motivated researchers but there is a lack of funding and the freedom of researchers to build competitive laboratories. We have nothing to envy to foreign researchers. We hope that following this pandemic, with the PNRR, investments are made in Italy to keep and cultivate high-level scientists who will make our country competitive “. This was stated by Rino Rappuoli, scientific director and head of Research and Development of Gsk Vaccines, guest of honor at the meeting organized, on the occasion of the ‘Researcher’s Day’, by Ics Maugeri Spa Società Benefit, with the patronage of the Salvatore Maugeri Foundation. Rappuoli, one of the first Italian researchers to move abroad after graduating in Siena, takes stock of the current research situation in our country: “science is important for people’s health, it must know how to respond to health needs but it is also very important for the economy, we are emerging from the crisis thanks to the science that gave us vaccines and monoclonals in record time “.” We have developed a monoclonal antibody – the scientist recalled – which we call second generation, which has several peculiarity: it neutralizes all the variants, instead of being administered intravenously an injection is sufficient, finally it is the most powerful ever developed so it can be used for many people and not just for an elite group such as the monoclonals developed so far. phase I “clinical trial” with exceptional results and is now in phase II and III which we hope to conclude soon in order to be available as soon as possible “. “Monoclonal antibodies are a new therapy for infectious diseases developed especially on the occasion of this pandemic. And there are already three monoclonals approved by Aifa available to Italians”.