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INOVIO Doses First Participant in Phase 2 Trial for its DNA Vaccine Against Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), a Coronavirus Disease
MERS is caused by a coronavirus that is 100 times deadlier than COVID-19 and fatal to approximately 34% of those who have the disease Trial is funded by
About this update from Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"MERS is caused by a coronavirus that is 100 times deadlier than COVID-19 and fatal to approximately 34% of those who have the disease\n Trial is funded by Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI)\n There is no approved vaccine for MERS\n\n\nPLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., Aug. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- INOVIO (NASDAQ: INO), a biotechnology company bringing to market precisely designed DNA medicines to treat and protect people from infectious diseases, cancer, and HPV-associated diseases, today announced that the company has dosed the first Phase 2 trial subject in its quest to develop the first vaccine against the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). INOVIO's Phase 2 trial is designed to evaluate INO-4700, its DNA vaccine candidate for the prevention of MERS, a disease in the coronavirus family for which there are no approved vaccines.\nThe multi-center Phase 2 trial is a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of INO-4700 administered with INOVIO's smart device, the CELLECTRA® 2000, in approximately 500 healthy adult volunteers. The study, which is sponsored by INOVIO and fully funded by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), is being conducted at sites in Jordan and Lebanon where MERS cases have been reported. \nThis trial builds on the positive results of the Phase 1 trial, which were published in a peer-reviewed article in The Lancet Infectious Diseases entitled, \"Safety and immunogenicity of an anti-Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus DNA vaccine: A phase 1, open-label, single-arm, dose-escalation trial.\" Results from this first-in-human Phase 1 trial found high levels of binding antibodies in 92% (57 of 62) of evaluated subjects. Significant antigen-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) responses were also observed. Importantly, 98% (61 of 62) of vaccinated subjects generated an antibody and/or T cell response against the MERS vaccine. \nDr. J. Joseph Kim, President and CEO of INOVIO, said, \"We are pleased to collaborate with CEPI to combat one of the most virulent pathogens of the coronavirus family for which there is no approved vaccine. This advancement not only complements our late-stage efforts with COVID-19, but it also represents an important milestone for INOVIO's infectious disease platform. We lo...