Norway-based CEPI, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and Dutch vaccine clinical development and manufacturing organization Intravacc, have announced the latest funding award to advance the development of vaccines that provide broad protection against SARS-CoV-2 (including its variants) and other Betacoronaviruses.

CEPI will provide seed funding of up to $4.8 million to Intravacc - a world leader in translational research and development of preventive and therapeutic vaccines - to advance the development of a broadly protective Betacoronavirus vaccine candidate, which can be delivered intranasally.  

This funding will support preclinical development and testing of Intravacc’s subunit vaccine candidate (Avacc 101), which is based on its Outer Membrane Vesicle (OMV) platform.

The technology has the potential to be rapidly adapted to address outbreaks of disease caused by emerging Betacoronavirus strains and variants, and, also to protect against pre-emergent Betacoronaviruses (i.e., before they “spillover” from animals to infect humans). Specifically, the Avacc 101 vaccine candidate will be designed to provide broad protection against SARS-CoV-1, SAR-CoV-2, and MERS-CoV. This platform will enable presentation of universal Spike molecules and will include “epitopes” that can also elicit T-cell responses.

Unlike the COVID-19 vaccines currently in use, this candidate will be delivered intranasally. This method of administration could help to produce the mucosal immunity needed to block viral infection thereby reducing person-to-person transmission.