Gates Foundation Grant Supports Broad-Spectrum Flu Shot Development

Osivax today announced that it had received a pneumonia and pandemic preparedness grant of over USD 1 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support additional research and development of its lead, broad-spectrum influenza vaccine candidate, OVX836.

Osivax confirmed it would use the grant to evaluate the breadth and the duration of protection provided by OVX836 against a wider range of seasonal and highly pathogenic influenza strains.

And this research will assess the potential of OVX836 to provide long-term protection against emerging and circulating strains of influenza, thus informing its potential as a standalone influenza vaccine administered less frequently than annually. 

Alexandre Le Vert, CEO and Co-Founder of Osivax commented in a press release on March 28, 2023, "The support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will allow us to widen the scope of OVX863 development and bring us one step closer to providing much needed, universal protection against both seasonal and pandemic influenza strains, which continue posing a significant global health threat."

OVX836 has shown promising safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy data across preclinical and clinical trials (Phase 1 and 2a) and continues to be evaluated in additional studies.

As of March 4, 2023, about 173.37 influenza vaccines were distributed in the U.S. during the 2022-2023 flu season.