CureVac Reports Positive Preclinical Data for its COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate, CVnCoV
- Strong induction of antibody and T cell responses in animal models
- Protection of the lung, reduction of viral load in nose and throat in challenge studies
- Favorable safety profile with no evidence of vaccine-enhanced disease
CureVac N.V., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a new class of transformative medicines based on messenger ribonucleic acid (“mRNA”), today announced data from preclinical studies of its investigational SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate, CVnCoV, in mice and hamsters. The vaccine candidate elicited balanced humoral and cellular immune responses, featuring high antibody titers and very good T cell activation. In addition to the positive immune response, the vaccine candidate induced favorable Th1 cytokine levels. Furthermore, CVnCoV efficiently protected hamsters against a live SARS-CoV-2 viral challenge without evidence of vaccine-induced disease enhancement. The full manuscript of the preclinical data is available on the pre-print server bioRxiv and was submitted for potential publication in a peer-reviewed journal. This vaccine candidate is currently being investigated in a Phase 1 and Phase 2a clinical trial. Interim Phase 1 data is expected to be announced shortly.