A new fact in Canada COVID-19[feminine] vaccine that can be inhaled is expected to enter phase 2 human trials.
The vaccine is being developed at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.
“There is a pressing need to develop new, more effective, next-generation vaccine strategies,” McMaster Vice President of Research Dr. Karen Mossman said in a press release. “As international leaders in respiratory mucosal immunity and vaccines, our researchers quickly pivoted with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, building on an already robust inhaled vaccine research program focused on tuberculosis.
Preclinical trials have already shown that the inhaled aerosol vaccine may be more effective at creating immune responses than injected vaccines, in part because it targets the upper respiratory tract and lungs where respiratory viruses like COVID-19 enter. in the body, according to the release.
During Phase 1 human trialsthe researchers assessed the dosage and safety in 30 healthy volunteers who had previously received at least two injections of an mRNA vaccine, such as those made by Pfizer and Moderna.
In phase 2, expected to begin in the coming months, researchers will monitor the safety and immune responses of up to 500 participants, including those with other health conditions, who have received at least three doses of the vaccine. to mRNA. Phase 2 will be carried out with new federal funding of $8.2 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
Dr. Fiona Smaill is a professor in the Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine at McMaster and one of the clinical trial leads, which also includes collaborators from Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia and the University of Ottawa.
“If we can show that the new inhaled vaccine is safe and effective, as we expect, the impact will be significant for human health, medical costs and improved quality of life,” Smaill said.
The vaccine is meant to target parts of the coronavirus that don’t change or mutate, potentially making it more effective against new variants.
“The current vaccination strategy for COVID-19 constantly pushes us to chase the virus, and it’s clear we just can’t keep up,” explained Matthew Miller, scientific director of the Institute for Infectious Disease Research. McMaster and one of the trial leaders. “Our team has developed a vaccine strategy to circumvent this cycle and the need to constantly update these vaccines by targeting the parts of the virus that are resistant to mutation and inducing strong immunity at the site where the infection actually occurs.”
Amid pandemic fatigue and declining recalls, researchers hope an inhaled vaccine will be more convenient and attractive than needles, and they anticipate their work will help advance inhaled vaccines for others. respiratory infections such as tuberculosis and the flu.
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