As several companies are pacing up to find a potent antidote to COVID-19 infection, researchers have devised a new "ultrapotent" coronavirus vaccine candidate that has induced "extremely high levels" of protective antibodies in animal models.
In vaccine news, Brazilian health regulator Anvisa has approved the resumption of human clinical trials of Johnson & Johnson's (J&J) experimental coronavirus vaccine.
In another key development, Mexico has secured first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine candidate from Chinese pharma company CanSino Biologics Inc. Here are latest developments related to coronavirus vaccine: "Ultrapotent" COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate Researchers, including those from the University of Washington (UW) School of Medicine in the US, have developed a vaccine candidate for COVID-19 that produces "extremely high levels" or protective antibodies in animal models, an advance that may lead to a novel therapeutic to curb the coronavirus pandemic.
According to scientists, the nanoparticle vaccine produces virus-neutralising antibodies in mice at levels much greater than is seen in people who have recovered from the disease. The study, published in the journal Cell, noted that it generates ten times more neutralising antibodies in mice, even at a six-fold lower vaccine dose, and also shows a strong B-cell immune response after administration, which can be critical for a durable vaccine effect.
"We hope that our nanoparticle platform may help fight this pandemic that is causing so much damage to our world," said Neil King, a co-author of the study from UW Medicine. "The potency, stability, and manufacturability of this vaccine candidate differentiate it from many others under investigation," King added.