Merck and IAVI are collaborating to develop an investigational vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 which combines the vaccine R&D capabilities of both organizations and uses the same rVSV platform as Ervebo, the first rVSV-based licensed vaccine for prevention of Ebola Zaire. V590 has generated strong preclinical data and clinical studies are ongoing. The organizations are working in an innovative partnership to accelerate the vaccine’s development and make it accessible globally, if approved.

The synthetic DNA vaccine INO-4800 is being developed as a medical countermeasure to prevent COVID-19. INO-4800 is administered to the skin using innovative electroporation technology to enhance the immune response recipients against the SARS-CoV-2. Preclinical studies in mice and nonhuman primates have demonstrated vaccination with INO-4800 protects against disease caused by challenging the animals with high doses of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Clinical studies are currently ongoing and have revealed the INO-4800 induces broad immune responses which neutralize the virus. Importantly, INO-4800 has a favorable safety profile, and the thermostability of the synthetic DNA allows for simplified global distribution and storage.

Two mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are authorized for emergency use and both work by rewiring a genetic trigger. SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 (coronavirus), has a unique physical structure that can be used to prime immune response. An mRNA vaccine has never been approved before, but other mRNA drugs exist. RNAimmune has developed a third generation mRNA vaccine which targets the most recent mutations from India, UK, Brazil, and South Africa. 

A new, SARS-CoV-2, high-throughput, ELISA-based neutralizing antibody test will be described. The comparative accuracy of pre-existing EUA authorized SARS-CoV-2 IgG binding and functional neutralizing antibody serology tests in detecting natural infection/recovered individuals is contrasted. SARS-CoV-2 vaccine efficacy and evidence correlating neutralizing antibodies with potential protection will be reviewed. Finally, some new data comparing functional neutralizing versus total IgG binding antibody responses to vaccination will be presented.

UB-612 is the first multitope protein-peptide vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, the pathogen. UB-612 consists of eight components rationally designed for induction of high neutralizing antibodies and broad T cell responses against SARS-CoV-2: In preclinical models the vaccine induced high titers of neutralizing and a Th1 oriented T cell response and was protective in challenge studies. Phase 1 trial is being completed and phase 2/3 global efficacy trials will start in Q1 2021.

CoVepiT is a multi-target CD8 T cell epitope SARS-CoV-2 vaccine which demonstrates induction of tissue-resident memory T cells in the lung and airways tissues after subcutaneous injection. CoVepiT has potential for an universal vaccine against coronaviruses (including all previous, currently circulating the future mutated SARS-CoV-2 variants).

There is an emphasis on pathogen directed vaccines.  An alternative approach is a vaccine that overall boost the immune system such as the BCG vaccine. There are 22 clinical trials using the BCG vaccine to induce immunity to COVID. The advantages of the BCG vaccine are multiple. The BCG vaccine is cost-effective approach, may last decades and protects from all mutant versions of the virus.

Intravacc develops several COVID-19 vaccines based on its platform technologies, like Outer Membrane Vesicle (OMV) technology and Vero Cell technology. For the OMV-based vaccines, either T cell epitopes of SARS-CoV-2 or modified spike protein are coupled to the OMVs, whereas a Newcastle disease viral vector vaccine is developed on the Vero cell platform. In this presentation Dinja will introduce and present the status of the different SARS-CoV-2 vaccine concepts.

Bio-Techne has worked tirelessly for the past year to enable our customers to research, characterize, and develop therapies against the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus. Efforts have produced a wide portfolio of important reagents and analytical tools. I will discuss how we leveraged our own SARS-CoV-2 recombinant proteins and antibodies to rapidly generate fast, reproducible, and sensitive assays on our Simple Western and Simple Plex platforms to characterize the immune response in COVID-19.

Our lab is working on establishing a novel platform for the generation of antivirals and vaccine candidates using both computational structural design and high-throughput experimental screening using surface display methods to address emerging infectious disease. We are employing deep mutational scanning to explore fitness landscapes of the Spike protein. We are using computational structural design methods we developed to stabilize specifically the pre-fusion conformation of viruses.

• Antibody levels in COVID-19 recovered patients decay over a period of six months.
• RBD+ IgG levels can be used as a proxy to evaluate neutralizing IgG.
• Following recovery, RBD+ mBC frequency remains stable over a period of six months.
• Next-generation sequencing of RBD+ B cell receptors showed an unregular high frequency of the IgG4 isotype which is known to contribute to the manifestation of IgG4-related disease.

This study examines the effect of systemic and mucosal antibodies to identify characteristics that contribute to efficacy. We examine antibody responses in convalescent plasma to define specificities and Fc characteristics of antibodies associated with potent neutralization and other functional activities. Multiplexed Fc array binding assays and functional antibody response assays were used to evaluate SARS-CoV-2 antibody composition and activity. Collectively, we seek to better understand antibody-mediated antiviral responses to SARS-CoV-2 and the factors that contribute to an effective antibody response. This may contribute to the development of novel vaccines or therapeutic candidates for COVID-19.

We are a global biotechnology company focused on further improving and leveraging the patented and proprietary C1 expression system to help bring biologic vaccines and drugs to market faster, in greater volumes, at lower cost, and with new properties to drug developers and manufacturers to improve access and cost to patients and the healthcare system – but most importantly to save lives.