SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Candidate Ready For Clinical Study 

A Pennsylvania-based biotechnology company announced an accelerated timeline for developing the DNA vaccine candidate INO-4800, which addresses the respiratory infection known as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

This is important news since the World Health Organization (WHO) previously designated COVID-19 a Public Health Emergency of International Concern of the highest level.

On March 3, 2020, Dr. J. Joseph Kim, Inovio Pharmacutical, Inc.’s President & CEO, shared this accelerated timeline at the U.S. Coronavirus Task Force meeting at the White House.

Dr. Kim said in this press release, "Inovio is the leader in coronavirus vaccine development and the only company with a Phase 2 vaccine candidate clinical trial (INO-4700) for a related coronavirus that causes Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).” 

“Using our modern DNA medicines platform, we designed our DNA vaccine INO-4800  in three hours after the publication of the genetic sequence of the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19."

Dr. Kim continued, "We immediately began preclinical testing and small-scale manufacture and have already shared robust preclinical data with our public and private partners.” 

“We plan to begin human clinical trials in the USA in April, and soon thereafter, in China and South Korea.”

“We plan on delivering 1 million doses by year-end 2020, with existing resources and capacity.”

The vaccine development highlights announce are as follows:

• April 2020 - Human clinical trials begin in 30 healthy volunteers in the USA. 
• TBD - Human clinical trials to begin in China and South Korea.
• Fall 2020 - Human clinical trial results presented/published.

Inovio's proprietary platform is a one-of-a-kind platform that delivers optimized DNA into cells, where it is translated into proteins that activate an individual's immune system to generate a robust targeted T cell and antibody response.

Inovio is aiming to significantly expand the therapeutic range of monoclonal antibodies with its DNA-encoded monoclonal antibody technology. Inovio encodes DNA to express a monoclonal antibody. 

Injection of the DNA plasmid into a patient generates robust in vivo monoclonal antibody production. This approach has the potential to generate in vivo production of therapeutic antibodies.

Inovio is a biotechnology company focused on rapidly bringing to market precisely designed DNA medicines to treat, cure, and protect people from diseases associated with HPV, cancer, and infectious diseases.

Coronavirus vaccine development news is published by Precision Vaccinations.