The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) has announced up to $30 million in funding for clinical trials of a new nanoparticle vaccine it hopes will offer protection against a range of coronaviruses that could pose a threat to human health in the future.
The vaccine will build on technologies developed by the Molecular Immunology Group at the University of Oxford and will target SARS-CoV-2 and a number of related bat viruses which have the potential to spread to humans.
A new consortium has been convened to take the project forward, bringing together researchers from the University of Oxford and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), as well as two UK-based companies: Ingenza Ltd, an industrial biotechnology company and CPI (Centre for Process Innovation Limited), which works with academics to help bring new tech to the marketplace.
CEPI will act as a partner of the consortium and its commitment of $30 million will support pre-clinical studies and a Phase 1 trial.
The new vaccine will differ from existing vaccines currently in use in the UK, in that it will use protein nanoparticles with the capacity to attach to sections of the spike proteins of eight different viruses. This would in turn enable an immune response to a range of coronaviruses with one vaccine. This is a different technology to that used in the mRNA or viral vector vaccines used in the UK COVID-19 vaccine campaign, and would mitigate against the risk of vaccine evasion by new coronavirus variants.
Research by the Oxford and Caltech teams published this week in the journal Science showed that the vaccine technology is able to trigger protective immune responses against SARS-like viruses and also against some additional coronaviruses not specifically targeted by the trial vaccine. This suggests that the technology could have the potential to protect against future COVID-19 variants and maybe even as-yet-undiscovered coronaviruses that may spill over from animal populations.
Alain Townsend, Professor of Molecular Immunology at the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford and Oxford Lead for the consortium, said:
The evolution of this consortium is an example of collaborative science at its best. We had been deeply impressed by the power of the “glue” for sticking proteins together developed by Mark Howarth (Biochemistry Oxford), and derived from his beautiful basic science investigations of the Streptococcus pyogenes bacterium.
Together we used this technology to make a prototype nanoparticle SARS-CoV-2 vaccine that induced highly potent responses in preclinical studies.
Through connections made by Ian Wilkinson (Absolute Antibody), we joined with colleagues at Ingenza and CPI who succeeded in making a fully functional version of the vaccine produced in microbes, thus reducing the cost of production. We have been collaborating with Prof. Pamela Bjorkman and the Caltech team, who had independently developed the brilliant concept of the mosaic version of the vaccine and are excited to continue working with this world-class consortium.
Dr Richard Hatchett, CEO of CEPI, said:
There have already been three serious coronavirus epidemics or pandemics in the 21st century – and COVID-19 continues to have a devastating impact on the world’s health, society, and economy. The creation of vaccines that could provide broad protection against emerging COVID-19 variants and future coronavirus threats would not only help mitigate the damaging effects of another COVID-19-like pandemic, it could also help reduce the time taken and funding spent continually updating vaccine formulations.
That’s why we are delighted to today partner with this CPI-led research consortium to build on Wellcome Leap’s initial investment further advance this pioneering mosaic nanoparticle vaccine technology that, if successful, could work towards consigning the threat posed by coronaviruses to the history books.
The consortium aims to start a Phase 1 trial in 2024, led by the Oxford Vaccine Group.
The consortium partners have stated their commitment to ensuring equitable access to the vaccine across the world.