Norway-based Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) will partner with a consortium consisting of the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), an autonomous institute of the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India and New Delhi-based Panacea Biotec to develop vaccine candidates that could provide broad protection against SARS-Cov-2 variants and other Betacoronaviruses.

CEPI will provide funding of up to $12.5 million to support the development of multi-epitope, nanoparticle-based vaccine candidates and advance the manufacturing process.

Through this research programme, THSTI and Panacea Biotec will design and select the lead antigen through proof-of-concept preclinical studies, and undertake initial clinical development through Phase I/II studies as they seek to establish clinical proof of concept for novel vaccine candidates to provide broad protection against MERS, SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2 and its variants.