In the race for a corona vaccine, the Tübingen-based biotech company is now reporting an important success.
But patience is still required until it is ready for the market.
Researchers around the world are working on a vaccine against
Corona *
.
The Tübingen biotech company has cleared the first
hurdle
.
The
starting shot
for the crucial phase III tests is to be given before the end of the year.
Munich - The Tübingen biotech company
Curevac
sees itself on the right
path
with the development of a
Corona *
vaccine.
The first results in the context of phase I tests on humans were “very promising”, a
Curevac
spokesman told Merkur.de * on Monday.
The total of around 250 test subjects at four test centers in
Tübingen
, Hanover,
Munich
and
Ghent
showed “very good tolerability for all tested doses of two to twelve micrograms”.
In addition, the test persons * showed a “very good formation of binding and neutralizing antibodies as well as signs of activation of T cells”.
The results achieved were very similar to the immune response of patients who were infected with the Covid-19 virus, it said.
Curevac
boss,
Franz-Werner Haas
said on Monday, "the interim phase 1
dates
" are "very encouraging" and represent "a decisive milestone in our
Covid
-19 vaccine program".
In view of the positive results, the large-scale phase IIb / III will begin “in the current year”, said Curevac spokesman Thorsten Schüller.
The vaccine will be tested on around 30,000 subjects in Europe and Latin America.
Corona vaccine from Curevac: Company hopes for market approval by mid-2021
According to the plans,
Curevac will
then submit an application for so-called rolling approval to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in the first quarter of 2021.
If all goes well, the vaccine could be available in mid-2021, it said.
In order to be able to meet the expected demand, the company is working flat out to expand its production capacities.
Curevac
is
building
a new plant
in Tübingen
.
It should go into operation in 2022 and, depending on the
amount
of
vaccine
, be able to produce at least one billion doses per year.
The building for it is already in place.
Now they want to install the necessary systems, said the spokesman.
Curevac
plans to
invest
75 million euros in
the production facilities
alone.
In July, the biotech specialist secured a loan from the European Investment Bank to finance it.
In addition, the existing plants are currently "cloned multiple times".
Corona vaccine from Curevac: Innovative approach
Similar to the competitor
Biontech
from Mainz,
Curevac
has also
specialized
in the development of so-called messenger nucleic acids (
mRNA
).
In this novel approach, messengers are supposed to transport genetic blueprints for the production of unimaginably tiny amounts of antigens into the cells.
The proteins produced should trigger a defense reaction of the immune system, which should then also
protect
the body against viruses such as the coronavirus *
SARS-CoV-2
.
Biontech is collaborating with US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer to develop a vaccine.
Curevac
focuses on mRNA with a comparatively low dose.
The company expects this to result in particularly good tolerance among the test subjects.
In addition, a low dosage in the subsequent production enables considerable quantity advantages per batch.
* Merkur.de is part of the Ippen-Digital network