Published: 08:28 AM, 26 November 2025 Last Update: 08:40 AM, 26 November 2025
Bangladesh Achieves Historic US Patent for Bangavax Vaccine
Rajin Ahmed
I can still remember the emotional press conference where Mr. Harunur Rashid, Chairman of Globe Biotech Limited, broke down in tears, wiping his eyes with a tissue while speaking about their innovation. At the time of its inauguration, the vaccine was first introduced under the name Bancovid, which was later renamed Bangavax. Despite the groundbreaking nature of this achievement—being the first locally developed COVID-19 vaccine candidate from Bangladesh—Globe Biotech’s efforts were largely overlooked by the Government of Bangladesh.
The administration at that time did not extend official recognition or adequate support to this pioneering initiative. Many observers speculated that political considerations played a role in the lack of acknowledgment. Nevertheless, the work of Globe Biotech represented a milestone in the nation’s pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors, demonstrating Bangladesh’s potential to contribute to global medical innovation.
Indeed, it is a major achievement that has recently boosted Bangladesh's standing in the global world of medicine and biotechnology: Globe Biotech’s COVID-19 vaccine, Bangavax, has secured a patent in the United States. This milestone is being hailed by local commentators and the company as the first-ever US pharmaceutical patent obtained by a Bangladeshi company. The patent was issued on August 26, 2025, after the company first filed its application in the US in September 2021.
This development is important, not just for the company, but for the entire nation. It carries significant legal, commercial, and symbolic weight.
According to Globe Biotech and press reports, the granted US patent includes multiple invention claims (the company has reported about 30 claims). These claims protect the nanotechnology-based mRNA vaccine platform that was used to develop Bangavax.
Bangavax is described as a single-dose mRNA vaccine engineered to target various forms (variants) of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Crucially, the platform itself is versatile, meaning the underlying technology can be adapted to create other types of vaccines and treatments (therapeutics) in the future.
This Patent is a Milestone for Bangladesh
The US patent strongly enhances Bangladesh's global pharmaceutical position in three practical ways:
1. Symbolic First Step
This achievement is framed as the first US patent in Bangladesh’s pharma/biotech sector. This is a powerful, symbolic signal. It shows that a laboratory in Bangladesh can create technology that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) judges to be novel and non-obvious. This validation is essential for increasing scientific prestige and building investor confidence in Bangladesh’s hopes for expanding its life-sciences research and development (R&D) sector.
2. Commercial Opportunity
The US patent is legally and commercially valuable because it grants the patentee the right to exclude others from making, using, selling, or importing the patented invention inside the United States.
This right is extremely useful for companies aiming for export markets or seeking partnerships with large multinational manufacturers and licensors. Globe Biotech has publicly stated that securing this patent opens doors for both exports and for low-cost manufacturing of the vaccine within Bangladesh.
3. Technology Influence
If the patent protection is broad—covering the fundamental technology platform rather than just narrow formulation details—it becomes a significant bargaining chip.
This kind of technology leverage strengthens Globe Biotech’s position when negotiating for international deals, such as licensing arrangements, joint ventures, or co-development agreements with larger global vaccine manufacturers. Such leverage is vital for securing the help needed to successfully scale up manufacture and distribution internationally.
The Next Steps for Policy Makers
While the patent is a major win, policy leaders in Bangladesh now need to build systems to support future success.
This award highlights the immediate need to create better supporting infrastructure, including stronger tech-transfer offices, dedicated funding for expensive late-stage clinical trials, and developing the legal expertise required for managing international intellectual property (IP) strategy. To amplify this win, the government can offer incentives for R&D, simplify regulations for clinical trials, and assist promising local innovators by helping cover the high costs associated with securing international patents. This will ensure that this historic success leads to lasting growth in Bangladesh’s global standing.
Rajin Ahmed is a lawyer
in Supreme Court of
Bangladesh.
