Swedish biotech Intravacc will help the Dutch Leiden University Medical Center test a developmental coronavirus vaccine nasal spray.
The vaccine candidate – known as Nanovac – consists of nano-spheres containing synthetic mini proteins that protect the upper respiratory tract from infection by SARS-2 (COVID19) but also SARS-1, MERS, and other beta coronaviruses.
Nanovac is due to be tested in a Phase I/II study due to start at the end of the year, which is supported by the Top Consortium for Knowledge and Innovation (TKI) of Health-Holland, part of the Dutch top sector Life Sciences & Health.
Luis Cruz and colleagues at LUMC have spent more than a year working on Nanovac, conducting preclinical studies in that have shown “surprisingly positive results.” Under the agreement, the LUMC team will run the Phase I/II study.
Intravacc will focus on a number of additional and preliminary preclinical exercises and the process development research of the vaccine through a scalable vaccine production process using its expertise in GMP vaccine production.
Nasal vaccines
The Nanovac project is separate to the development of AVACC-10, another candidate nasal delivery coronavirus vaccine Intravacc is working on. However, the candidates have a lot in common because are both designed to block infection as early as possible.
Intravacc CEO, Jan Groen, said “I am particularly pleased with Intravacc's input in the development of this new nasal spray vaccine. This concept and Intravacc's own AVACC-10 vaccine are potential game-changers in the fight against COVID-19.
“According to renowned immunologist Professor Ed Lavelle, of Trinity College Dublin, transmission of the virus is best blocked where it enters the body. It is therefore preferable to administer the vaccine via a spray in the nose for direct immunization of the throat and nasal mucosa.”
Image: Stock Photo Secrets