US-based biotechnology company Meissa Vaccines has started preclinical studies and manufacturing of its intranasal, live attenuated vaccine (LAV) candidate MV-014-210 against Covid-19.

MV-014-210, formulated for a single adjuvant-free dose, will be assessed for its ability to trigger immunity and protect against SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes Covid-19.

Based on the company’s codon deoptimized RSV vaccine platform, the Covid-19 vaccine candidate is obtained by altering RSV LAV candidate MV-012-968. The company replaced RSV glycoproteins with a functioning SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein.

Meissa completed a pre-investigational new drug (IND) meeting with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the development of MV-014-210 against Covid-19, with clinical trials anticipated to commence early next year.

Meissa Vaccines cofounder and CEO Martin Moore said: “The Covid-19 vaccine pipeline is dominated by non-replicating vaccines, while live attenuated vaccines are known to induce long-lasting immunity after a single adjuvant-free dose, presenting an economical and effective solution to this global pandemic.

“A single dose of MV-014-210 may be sufficient to generate immunity against SARS-CoV-2. Furthermore, building our Covid-19 vaccine candidate on our RSV vaccine platform provides safety advantages compared to a live attenuated coronavirus approach.”

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

The company also reported interim data from the first-in-human study of MV-012-968. Results showed that the RSV vaccine produced an immune response in healthy adults.

Moore added: “The promising clinical data from our RSV vaccine candidate showing that it generated an immune response and has been safe and well-tolerated in healthy individuals further supports the application of Meissa’s technology to a Covid-19 vaccine candidate, as well as continued development of MV-012-968 for RSV.”

Previously, MV-012-968 was found to induce a strong mucosal IgA response, as well as a serum-neutralising antibody response against RSV in animal models.

In an ongoing randomised, open-label, dose-ranging Phase Ia trial, MV-012-968 was safe and well-tolerated in healthy RSV sero-low adults monitored through day 56.