A new coronavirus vaccine, named GBP511, is set to begin human clinical trials in Australia, targeting multiple strains of coronaviruses, including the one responsible for COVID-19. Developed by the University of Washington’s Institute for Protein Design, this innovative vaccine utilizes a self-assembling nanoparticle technology.
Leading the trial is SK bioscience, a South Korean pharmaceutical firm that has previously collaborated with UW researchers on a COVID-19 vaccine that gained regulatory approval. Notably, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations has allocated around $65 million to support the GBP511 initiative.
According to Neil King, an associate professor at UW Medicine and co-inventor of the vaccine technology, GBP511 is the first vaccine aimed at providing protection against a range of coronaviruses, including those that could lead to severe outbreaks. The vaccine is designed to recognize sarbecoviruses, which include not only the virus responsible for COVID-19 but also other significant pathogens like SARS-CoV-1 and MERS-CoV.
This vaccine's unique approach involves attaching components from four different coronaviruses to a nanoparticle, thereby enhancing the immune response against various viral threats.