Nonprofit biotech research institute Access to Advanced Health Institute (AAHI) said that it has received an award worth up to $9.9 million for a 40-month project aimed at development of liquid and dry powder versions of an intranasal influenza RNA vaccine candidate targeting the A(H5N1) and A(H7N9) avian influenza subtypes.
The funding, which will support development through Phase 1 trials, was awarded by the US Department of Defense’s Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND) and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) through the Medical CBRN Defense Consortium (MCDC).
According to AAHI, its self-amplifying RNA platform, which utilizes nanostructured lipid carrier nanoparticles, allows for rapid design of new vaccines and produces formulations that are stable at room temperature for up to 8 months. The organization said that feasibility studies of an intranasal COVID-19 vaccine based on its platform induced both T-cell immunity in the lungs and systemic immunity.
AAHI Principal Scientist Emily Voigt, said, “Stimulating robust systemic and mucosal immunity with rapid-response RNA vaccine technology would be a game-changer for pandemic preparedness. Our preliminary data show great promise in preclinical models but have a long way to go to demonstrate effectiveness in humans. This prototype project is designed to bridge that gap quickly and effectively.”
Read the AAHI press release.
