The Cantacuzino Institute will have a new factory, where it will produce flu, tetanus and Polidin vaccine

Romanian vaccines remain a priority for the Army. The Cantacuzino Institute, subordinate to the Ministry of Defense, will build a new serology research and production center in the Băneasa area of ​​Bucharest.

The investment – estimated at 150 million euros – is aimed at resuming the production of flu vaccine, tetanus vaccine and polydin – three of the 21 serums for which Cantacuzino held the license.

Inspector Pro filmed the preparations and shows you how it was possible for the Romanian state to put a history of 100 years on hold, in just 10 years.

The Cantacuzino Institute will have a new factory. The building will be built on Army land. 2 vaccines will be produced there: tetanus and flu. But also Polidin, a serum for immunity, invented by Romania in 1966. The stake, however, remains the flu vaccine. The army wants to start production in 2025. Nothing can be done in the old buildings.

The construction of the factory in Baneasa will start by the end of the year. The investment amounts to 150 million euros. And the money will be paid by MApN.

Florin Oancea, commander of the Cantacuzino Institute: “Yes, I know, Romania has lost its patience. People want it now! He should understand that it is not possible now!”

Once the flu vaccine production is started, Romania will save 10 million euros each year, because that’s how much preventive vaccination costs us. Now, in Băneasa, only clinical studies are carried out and the toxicity of the products is checked on laboratory animals.

Polydin is in an advanced form of research and will be on the Romanian market again, in three forms: injectable, jelly and spray.

The first serum that could be released on the market is anti-tetanus. Now we buy it from the Bulgarians. To begin with, 1,600 variants of the strain dating back to 1970 were brought to Bucharest, from the headquarters in Iasi.

For all this, however, a private partner is also needed, a strong manufacturer, who will come up with the mass production lines. Otherwise, the Institute will only be able to ensure strategic production, i.e. the minimum necessary for the population.

The current premises of the institute have become ruins.

The building with 7 floors and with seismic risk could not be used for almost 20 years. In order to be able to carry out the research activity here again, it must be consolidated. This process will start next year and will last two years. In such a situation there are ten other buildings that urgently need to be restored.

All the governments’ attempts to revive the activity at Cantacuzino have failed. The Ministries of Health and Research proved powerless, and the Army put its hands on its head when the institute came under its control.

Gender. Florin Oancea, commander of the institute. Cantacuzino: “Imagine how I used to find all kinds of tools here! Like this! That’s a hood! A brand new hood! That’s why she stayed here, because she didn’t fit in the laboratory!”

Reporter: “Is this bought from when he was at the Ministry of Health?”

Gender. Florin Oancea, commander of the institute. Cantacuzino: “Yes! There were a lot! Money given as alms! Think that some were not in the accounting records. There was no such thing.

Reporter: “Well, how were they bought?”

Gender. Florin Oancea, commander of the institute. Cantacuzino: “Everyone buys what they want!”

The decay of the institute began in 2009. Cantacuzino lost, one by one, all marketing authorizations for its 21 products, because they no longer met European manufacturing standards.

The big loss is the anti-tuberculosis vaccine, BCG in short, which we manufactured until 2009. Romania was the second country in the world, next to France, to have this anti-tuberculosis serum.

Viorel Alexandru, former manager of the Cantacuzino Institute: “Romania still has the number of cases, mortality and morbidity first in Europe. It’s a shame! There is one vaccine left that I lost. The highlight was that the Bulgarians had a strain from us and were making the BCG vaccine.”

The last withdrawn was the flu vaccine, in 2013. The activity was suddenly interrupted after the famous scandal of toxic bacteria, discovered on the production line.

Nine employees from Cantacuzino and the manager Graţiela Drăghici, known for the famous line – “I am a forklift woman”, were suspected of negligence.

However, the criminal files regarding the toxic vaccine passed, one by one, by the General Prosecutor’s Office, the National Anti-Corruption Directorate and the Prosecutor’s Office of the Bucharest Court. After four years of investigation, the case was closed.