Candidate: Vaccine against COVID-19
Category: VAX
Type: mRNA vaccine employing two strategies: researchers have placed the most emphasis on formulating mRNAs that can instruct the host to produce virus-like particles (VLPs) with morphological and structural features similar to those of native COVID-19 viruses and activate immune responses. The other approach uses mRNA to express the receptor-binding domain of the spike protein of COVID-19 to induce neutralizing-antibodies in the human body.
Status: Fudan University on March 7 announced the partnership, led by Fudan’s Prof. Lin Jinzhong, PhD. Researchers have formulated an mRNA cocktail containing three genes of COVID-19, which produce VLPs when used to co-transfect human cells— “the first time the world has witnessed modified mRNAs that can synthesize VLPs,” according to Fudan.
COVID-19: 200 Candidates and Counting
To navigate through the >200 potential therapeutic and vaccine options for COVID-19, GEN has grouped the candidates into four broad categories based on their developmental and (where applicable) clinical progress:
● FRONT RUNNER – the most promising therapeutics/vaccines based on clinical progress, favorable data or both.
● DEFINITELY MAYBE – earlier phases with promising partners, or more advanced candidates in development that have generated uneven data
● KEEPING AN EYE ON… – interesting technology, attracting notable partners, or both, but preliminary data.
● TOO SOON TO TELL – longshots pending additional experimental and/or clinical data.
GEN has also tagged the most common treatment types: