Scalable live-attenuated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate demonstrates preclinical safety and efficacy

Authors: Ying Wang, Chen Yang, Yutong Song, J. Robert Coleman, Marcin Stawowczyk, Juliana Tafrova, Sybil Tasker, David A. Boltz, Robert J. Baker, Liliana Garcia, Olivia Seale, Anna Kushnir, Eckard Wimmer, Steffen Mueller - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, PNAS 2021 cited by 145

) vaccinated intranasally with COVI-VAC compared to those inoculated with wild-type (WT) virus. COVI-VAC inoculation generated spike IgG antibody levels and plaque reduction neutralization titers similar to those in hamsters inoculated with WT virus. Upon challenge with WT virus, COVI-VAC vaccination reduced lung challenge viral titers, resulted in undetectable virus in the brain, and protected hamsters from almost all SARS-CoV-2-associated weight loss. Highly attenuated COVI-VAC is protective at a single intranasal dose in a relevant in vivo model. This, coupled with its large-scale manufacturing potential, supports its potential use in mass vaccination programs.