New vaccine candidate in the fight against new variants of SARS-CoV-2
Publikation in Nature Microbiology (Juli 2024) A safe, effective and adaptable live-attenuated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine to reduce disease and transmission using one-to-stop genome modifications
«This candidate vaccine represents a significant advancement in our fight against emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2. Its safety profile and immune response make it a strong candidate for further clinical evaluation» says Tuba Barut postdoctoral researcher and one of the first authors at the IVI and University of Bern.
The COVID 19 pandemic which has been responsible for around 7 million deaths worldwide, necessitates continuous innovation in vaccine development. While existing COVID-19 vaccines have been successful, the need for improved more efficient vaccines remains critical to combat emerging variants and most importantly curb transmission which is not possible with existing vaccines.
A collaborative effort between the IVI and the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut FLI Germany, has yielded a breakthrough. Researchers, working with the support of Swiss start-up company RocketVax, have developed a live vaccine candidate:
- All animals developed a robust immune response including antibodies and effector immune cells against SARS-CoV-2
- All vaccinated animals were protected from disease when infected with different variants of concern, including the new variants such as Omicron BA.2/BA.5/XBB1.5.