CEPI, Affinivax Partner to Advance Novel Covid-19 Vaccine

CEPI, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and Affinivax Inc. have announced a partnership to advance the development of a novel vaccine that could provide broad protection against SARS-CoV-2 variants, and potentially other betacoronaviruses.
 
CEPI will provide funding of up to $4.5 million to support the initial development of a vaccine candidate based on Affinivax’s innovative Multiple Antigen Presenting System (MAPS) technology platform. CEPI’s investment in Affinivax will fund vaccine candidate design and selection, manufacturing process development and preclinical testing against specific SARS-CoV-2 variants.
 
The collaborative program aims to establish preclinical proof of concept for a novel vaccine candidate designed to protect against new COVID-19 variants and that is also suitable for use in low- and middle-income countries. CEPI will evaluate the potential for further investment in the development of this vaccine candidate based on the data derived from this initial partnership with Affinivax.
 
The MAPS technology platform may potentially be applicable for developing vaccines which are protective against a broad range of betacoronaviruses, as well as other pathogens in the CEPI portfolio, including ‘Disease X’ which represents unknown pathogens with pandemic potential. The MAPS technology platform has been clinically validated with Affinivax’s lead 24-valent pneumococcal vaccine candidate, which was observed to be safe and well tolerated and generated an antibody response to each of the 24 pneumococcal polysaccharides and to the two conserved pneumococcal proteins in a Phase 2 clinical trial.
 
Under the terms of the funding agreement, Affinivax has committed to achieving equitable access to the outputs of this project, in line with CEPI’s Equitable Access Policy.
 
Dr Richard Hatchett, CEO of CEPI, said, “Through our partnership with Affinivax, we are taking the first steps towards developing a vaccine capable of tackling a broad range of variants, to help us stay one step ahead of the virus in the future. Developing variant-proof COVID-19 vaccines and enabling equitable access to them is vital for global health security.”
 
Steven Brugger, CEO of Affinivax, said, “As is CEPI, we are convinced that new vaccine options, in addition to those currently approved or authorized, are needed to help the world control this challenging virus. Our MAPS technology platform represents a fundamentally different approach to vaccine development that allows us to combine multiple antigens into a single MAPS vaccine to potentially address the continued threat of emerging COVID-19 variants. Additionally, this grant will allow Affinivax the opportunity to explore the potential of our vaccine platform against other viruses and continue to support global health organizations in their efforts to target other viral pathogens and diversify their vaccination programs.”

Strengthening Defenses Against COVID-19

While the world has made great advances in vaccine development against COVID-19, the emergence of Omicron is a reminder that variants of concern will continue to pose a threat to this progress as long as the virus continues to circulate.
 
Vaccines have dramatically altered the course of the COVID-19 pandemic in countries that have access to them, but emerging variants that are more transmissible, more deadly, and/or can evade the protection provided by current vaccines could create significant challenges. Developing novel vaccines that target variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and have the potential to generate immunity against all of them is therefore essential for the long-term control of the virus.
 
As illustrated by COVID-19, coronaviruses have a devastating pandemic potential. The emergence of a coronavirus combining the transmissibility of COVID-19 with the lethality of SARS or MERS would be catastrophic; thus, developing vaccines that provide broad protection against the whole betacoronavirus genus is vital to global health security. CEPI is working closely with partners to advance work in this area as quickly as possible.