Covid variants, ‘encouraging’ first CureVac-Gsk vaccine data

The first data on the innovative Covid-19 vaccine CureVac-Gsk are ‘encouraging’. These are currently preclinical data, obtained from macaques, but show “second generation candidate Covid vaccine with mRna, CV2CoV,” “evidence of robustly improved immune responses” compared to first generation CureVac and better protection. Neutralizing ability of induced antibodies was tested against multiple variants, including beta, delta and lambdaThose with the most experts concerned about vaccines. The numbers are ‘very encouraging’ About Rino Rappuoli, Senior Scientist and Head of Research and Development at Gsk Vaccines. The scientist said in a statement that the “strong immune response and protection” observed in “preclinical tests represent an important milestone for the further development” of the second generation.

“MRna technology is a key strategic priority for us – added Rappuoli – and we are investing heavily in a series of programs focused on collaboration with CureVac.” The study, conducted in macaques in collaboration with Dan Baruch, of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, evaluated samples immunized with either the first generation vaccine (CVnCoV) or with the second generation. With the latter, enhanced activation of innate and adaptive immune responses was achieved, resulting in faster response onset, higher antibody titers, and stronger activation of memory B and T cells compared to first generation candidates. A greater ability to neutralize the antibody towards all selected variants was also observed. Study data is available on “bioRxiv” in preprint version.

“In this animal model, CV2CoV has been shown to induce broad cellular antibody and immune responses very similar to the magnitude of immune responses seen after SARS-CoV-2 infection,” said Igor Splowski, CureVac’s chief scientific officer. “The current study shows that the immune responses and protection produced by our second generation candidate, based on our mRNA technology with targeted optimizations, are significantly improved in non-human primates, both against and against the original Sars-CoV-2 virus. Variants related to Beta and Delta and the Lambda interest variable.”

When are the human tests? Following the current preclinical development of CV2CoV, this second-generation mRna-based candidate vaccine is expected to begin a “phase 1 clinical trial in the last quarter of 2021,” according to the two companies’ report.