Vaccine Info

CoraVax COVID-19 Vaccine

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Staff
Last reviewed
January 4, 2022
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CoraVax COVID-19 Description

CoraVax vaccine candidate is made from the spike protein component of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

CoraVax, similar to other vaccines, uses a 'carrier' vaccine. CoraVax utilizes a killed rabies vaccine with the spike protein as an added component.

The rabies vaccine is known to produce a strong immune response and has been proven safe for all populations, including children and pregnant women.

An individual vaccinated with Coravax will most likely develop antibodies for both SARS-CoV-2 as well as rabies.

CoraVax has already been shown to induce high levels of neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2—the virus behind COVID-19—in hamster and mouse models without triggering any serious adverse events.  In viral challenge experiments, animals given CoraVax™ were fully protected against the viral disease, while all control animals showed infection at the expected levels.

Bharat Biotech has partnered with the Pennsylvania-based Thomas Jefferson University (TJU) to develop its experimental vaccine Coravax.

“Since we know the immune system reacts to the rabies vaccine with a strong response when we add the coronavirus component, we expect to see that level of protection, and immune memory, carry over to the SARS-CoV-2 viral protein as well," said TJU Infectious Diseases expert Professor Matthias Schnell, whose lab developed the vaccine in January 2020, and has recently completed preliminary tests in animal models.

CoraVax COVID-19 Indication

Coravax is indicated for preventing the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19.

CoraVax COVID-19 News

October 16, 2020 - Rabies virus-based COVID-19 vaccine CORAVAX™ induces high levels of neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. The results presented in this preclinical study indicate that CORAVAX is an excellent candidate vaccine against COVID-19.

August 28, 2020 - An award of $508,000 was granted to Thomas Jefferson University, which received the required matching funds from partner Bharat Biotech (Hyderabad, India) and The Philadelphia Foundation, was granted for the development of CoraVax™. The DCED grant funding will significantly accelerate CoraVax™ formulation optimization, a final step needed to develop and implement the vaccine for human trials. CoraVax™ has already been shown to induce high levels of neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2—the virus behind COVID-19—in hamster and mouse models, without triggering any serious adverse events. In viral challenge experiments, animals given CoraVax™ were fully protected against the viral disease, while all control animals showed infection at the expected levels.

May 20, 2020 - Bharat Biotech and Thomas Jefferson University of Philadelphia have signed an exclusive deal to develop a new vaccine candidate for COVID-19 invented at Jefferson. The novel vaccine was developed using an existing deactivated rabies vaccine as a vehicle for coronavirus proteins.

April 7, 2020 - Researchers at the Jefferson Vaccine Center at Thomas Jefferson University announced they have a COVID-19 vaccine candidate that could cover a global need. “Our vaccine candidate, CORAVAX™, is made from part of the current coronavirus, and that is combined with another proven vaccine that serves as a carrier of sorts,” says Matthias Schnell, Ph.D., Director of the Jefferson Vaccine Center. “The benefit is that the ‘carrier’ vaccine has already been rigorously tested and shown to be safe and effective. There are manufacturing plants worldwide already running and with the technological know-how to produce large quantities of that vaccine. We can leverage that efficiency and safety record.”

Clinical Trials

No clinical trials found