More New Covid Vaccine Candidates, Trials, and Preclinical Studies (NextGen Update 32)

Image credit

Cartoon by Hilda Bastian, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

This month, there was unexpected Project NextGen news: A new phase 1 clinical trial started, for an exosome vaccine. There was also another phase 4 trial report for CanSino’s inhaled viral vector vaccine. And there are 10 preclinical reports, mostly for mucosal vaccines, and including some for pancoronavirus vaccines.

As usual, I have the post broken down into 3 categories of next-generation Covid vaccines (definitions below). Each section ends with an overview of vaccines in the category – and each has a link to skip over that straight to the next news section.

ICYMI:

• An introduction to self-amplifying mRNA, plus my compendium on getting ready for more mRNA fear-mongering.

• Check out my May 2024 post, “When will we get a sterilizing Covid vaccine?”

• Mucosal vaccine news
• Durable or “variant-proof” vaccines
• Pancoronavirus vaccine news
• Addendum 1: List of authorized vaccines (with countries)
• Addendum 2: Table of mucosal vaccines in clinical trials
• Addendum 3: Table of pancoronavirus vaccines with preclinical results
• Addendum 4: Definitions of vaccine types

Mucosal vaccine news

This month there is a phase 4 clinical trial report for one of the vaccines that has been in use in several countries reports, as well as preclinical reports for 7 vaccines, 2 of which are included in the pancoronavirus section below.

Another phase 4 trial of CanSino’s Convidecia Air inhaled viral vector vaccine (China)

This clinical trial tested 2 bivalent vaccines as boosters, including original and Omicron strains, in either inhaled Convidecia Air vaccine or an mRNA vaccine (also by CanSino). A third group received monovalent Convidecia Air (original Covid strain). It was a safety and immunogenicity trial, with 450 participants.

Convidecia Air induced a lower rate of antibodies and higher mucosal signs of immunity than the mRNA vaccine. Waning at 6 months was similar for both. The rate of adverse reactions was much higher for the mRNA vaccine (73% of vaccinated people versus 29% for Convidecia Air).

Preclinical results for mucosal vaccines

• Intranasal viral vector vaccine from Ohio State University (USA): This preclinical report is the fourth for this vaccine. (All records for this vaccine here.) It is based on measles and mumps viruses, and these tests studied a trivalent version, including the original strain of Covid and 2 Omicron variants. Tests were conducted in mice and hamsters. The tests included injected and intranasal forms, with challenges with original SARS-CoV-2 and Omicron variants, and a transmission test in hamsters. Only animals receiving the intranasal version of the vaccine showed signs of mucosal immunity. Some intranasally-vaccinated hamsters and hamsters injected with the vector alone were co-housed with unvaccinated animals that had been infected with original strain or Omicron variant. Those receiving the vector only were infected. However, vaccinated hamsters had no sign of the original or Omicron virus in their lungs, and only a small amount of original virus was detected in their noses.

• Intranasal protein subunit vaccine from Shenzhen University (China): This is the first report for this vaccine. Developers tested versions of the vaccine with 2 different adjuvants, both forms of Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP). They concluded that long-form TSLP induced both systemic and mucosal immune responses, but short-form did not.

• Intranasal protein subunit vaccine for Covid and Influenza A from Mercer University (USA): This is the first report for this vaccine. It is a quadrivalent vaccine, including microparticles from 2 Covid variants (Delta and Omicron) and 2 strains of Influenza A (H1N1 and H3N2). It was tested in mice receiving 2 doses, with immune responses to all 4 antigens assessed. Mice in a control group were injected with the vaccine. Mucosal immune responses were higher after intranasal vaccination. (The mice were also challenged with Influenza A, but I couldn’t find a report of the results.)

• Intranasal viral vector vaccine from Xiamen University (China): This is the first report for this vaccine. The viral vector is recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV), and several versions of the vaccine were tested in mice and hamsters to study the vector. In mice, intranasal vaccination was compared with intracranial injection. Intracranial injection and a challenge test with rVSV were done to assess a neurological safety issue for the vector.

• Intranasal Sputnik viral vector vaccine from Gamaleya Institute (Russia): This report is the second for the intranasal administration Sputnik vaccine, and only the abstract was available at the time of writing. (The first paper is here.) Both intranasal and injected versions of the vaccine were tested in primates (marmosets), and this is a 2-year follow-up report. The developers reported that signs of immunity had “nearly disappeared” for the intranasally vaccinated animals, while animals vaccinated by injection continued to show signs of immunity.

Skip ahead to next news category

Mucosal Covid vaccine overview

• 5 mucosal vaccines are currently authorized for use, at least 1 in each of 6 countries. However, none have been authorized by a drug regulatory agency designated stringent, or listed, by WHO.
• 34 mucosal vaccines have reached clinical trial, although some of the vaccines are no longer in development. The vaccines that have entered clinical trials are tracked in a table below. They are mostly viral vector vaccines.
• In addition to the 5 authorized mucosal vaccines, 5 have reached phase 2 trials, and another 2 have reached phase 2/3 trial.

US Project NextGen-funded trials in this category – 3 that started seem to be continuing:

• Phase 1 for MPV/S-2P, the intranasal viral vector vaccine developed by the NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). This trial for 60 participants began recruiting in July 2024, and finished recruiting by early 2025.

• Phase 2b for the oral viral vector vaccine from Vaxart (trial start announced at the end of September 2024; trial registration here) – this grant was not cancelled and the trial is proceeding; and
• Phase 2b for the intranasal viral vector vaccine from CyanVac/Blue Lake Biotech (trial started in December 2024, trial registration here) – this trial appears to be proceeding.

• 2 trials are apparently not going ahead: A Phase 2b (“mini-efficacy”) for the intranasal protein subunit vaccine from Castlevax – this grant was paused and may be terminated. Another for the intranasal live attenuated vaccine from Codagenix has not apparently started.

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Durable or “variant-proof” vaccines

There were no new research reports in this category this month, but I’ve added a new Project NextGen-funded vaccine that has gone into clinical trial. In addition, there was a report from Arcturus Therapeutics on their applications for approval of Kostaive, the self-amplifying mRNA vaccine currently approved in Japan and Europe. They are expecting a decision this September on their application in the UK. They also have applications in Japan for a lyophilized version (powder, not refrigerated liquid), and a variant-updated version. The company still expects to apply for authorization in the US this quarter.

Phase 1 trial begun for STX exosome vaccine from Capricor (USA)

Exosomes are a type of extracellelar structure that can transport proteins and RNA between cells. STX-S is an exosome-based vaccine that carries mRNA, and it was developed by Capricor Therapeutics in the US. Although it is not described as a “variant-proof” vaccine, I’ve added it to this category because the phase 1 trial is being funded by Project NextGen.

This phase 1 trial is being run by the NIH’s NIAID, and is currently recruiting 60 people to get one of 3 dosage levels of STX-S. That’s a version of the vaccine targeting the S protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The company reported that they are in talks with the FDA to include a fourth arm with a version of the vaccine carrying both S and N proteins. The trial is recruiting in Rochester and Seattle (contact details here).

All records in my collection for this vaccine are here, including 3 preclinical reports in several species of non-primates. One of those tests a version of the vaccine targeting Covid, influenza, and RSV.

Skip ahead to next news category

Durable or “variant-proof” vaccine overview

Note: This is a rather vague category, including vaccines that aim to be more durable. I’m not sure how many can be classified as aiming to be “variant-proof”.

Authorized vaccine:

There is one vaccine in this category that has been authorized by a drug regulatory authority designated by WHO has stringent, or listed – and tested against an mRNA vaccine:

• LUNAR-COV19 (USA), trade name Kostaive: This self-amplifying mRNA vaccine was authorized in Japan in November 2023, with rollout in October 2024. It was also authorized for Europe in February 2025. Application for authorization in the UK planned next.

US Project NextGen-funded trials in this category:

• Phase 1 for STX from Capricor (trial began dosing participants in August 2025).

• Phase 1 for TNX-1800 from Tonix (aiming for lifelong immunity) (planned to go into clinical trial in 2024 – no recent news);

• Funding was terminated for the Phase 2b (“mini-efficacy”) trial for GeoVax (viral vector vaccine).

Note: Gritstone Bio was originally in line for a phase 2b trial for their self-amplifying mRNA vaccine. However, the company declared bankruptcy and in January 2025, their assets were sold.

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Pancoronavirus vaccine news

This month, there are 5 new reports of preclinical studies for vaccines in this category, including 2 mucosal vaccines:

An intranasal peptide subunit vaccine from the University of Alberta (Canada): This new report is the second for this vaccine. The first reported on tests of the vaccine in hamsters. The second reports on tests in mice. The mice received 2 intranasal doses, and were tested for signs of immune response up to 7 months. The developers reported signs of immune response to 7 Covid variants, original SARS, MERS, and 2 other human coronaviruses.

A protein subunit vaccine from the University of Sydney (Australia): This is now available in a journal version. I included the preprint in my December 2024 update. It reports on tests in mice and hamsters of several versions of vaccine, including Covid challenge. The developers found that one of the candidates reduced clinical signs of disease in mice and hamsters. There were also signs of immune response to other sarbecoviruses in tests with mice that had been previously vaccinated with a current Covid vaccine. The vaccine chosen for continued development is called CoVEXS5. (You can read more about this in a university press release.)

An mRNA vaccine from the University of California Irvine and Techimmune (USA): This is one of 2 pancoronavirus vaccines being developed by this group. (The other is based on a viral vector.) The new preclinical report is the fourth on the mRNA vaccine. The developers report on tests of the vaccine in hamsters, comparing their pancoronavirus vaccine with a standard Covid spike-only mRNA and a mock vaccine (saline), including a challenge with the Delta variant. They concluded that their vaccine provided greater protection than current mRNA vaccine, and the protection lasted for longer than a year. (All records for this vaccine here.)

An intranasal protein subunit vaccine from the China Cuba Joint Innovation Center: This is now available in a journal version: The preprint was listed in my May update. It is the sixth preclinical report for this vaccine. The developers describe tests in mice, concluding that although there were signs of immune response to both original SARS and MERS, neutralizing capacity was very low in one type of test. (All records for this vaccine here.)

An mRNA vaccine from Acuitas Therapeutics (Canada): This is the first report for this vaccine. The vaccine was tested in mice and rhesus macaques, with the collaboration of researchers from several universities in the US. First-generation mRNA Covid vaccines used a stabilized S protein. In this study, several versions of mRNA vaccine, with and without that stabilization, were compared. One type of vaccine (targeting the RBD inner face) protected mice from challenge with a bat coronavirus, but did not result in antibodies that could neutralize Omicron. Another version (targeting the RBD outer face) showed immune responses to Omicron, but other sarbecoviruses. The researchers concluded that stabilization was not required for effective mRNA vaccine. (This report was published in June, but I missed it at the time.)

Pancoronavirus vaccine overview

A table below this post keeps track of vaccines I’ve added to this category so far that have publicly available preclinical results. Of these vaccines, 7 have reached phase 1 clinical trials, and 1 has reached phase 2, with some results for 3 of them marked *:

• * CoronaTcP (Gylden Pharma, UK/US) – protein subunit. (Note: This vaccine was previously called PepGNP-SARSCov2, and the manufacturer was previously called Emergex.)

• DIOSynVax (Cambridge University spin-off, UK) – mRNA.
  
  
• Duke University (USA) – protein subunit.
  
  
• INSERM/Ennodc (formerly LinkInVax) (France) – protein subunit.
  
  
• Osivax (France) – protein subunit.
  
  
• * VBI Vaccines (Canada) – eVLP. [This company announced bankruptcy in late 2024.]
  

• * Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR, USA) – protein subunit.

US Project NextGen-funded trials in this category – no recent news on the funding for either:

• CoronaTcP (Gylden Pharma, UK/US) – protein subunit.
• Unnamed (PopVax, India) – mRNA.

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Addendum 1: List of authorized next generation Covid vaccines (with countries)

There are now 7 next-generation Covid vaccines authorized in 7 countries. Only one has been authorized or approved by drug regulatory agencies designated stringent, or listed, by WHO – in bold. Authorization is pending in the European Union. I’ve listed the vaccines in 2 categories, in order of date of first authorization (or initial approval).

Mucosal:

• Razi-Cov Pars (Iran), intranasal protein subunit vaccine: Iran (October 2021).
• Sputnik (Russia), intranasal viral vector vaccine: Russia (April 2022).
• Convidecia (China), inhaled viral vector vaccine: China (September 2022), Morocco (November 2022), Indonesia (March 2023).
• iNCOVACC (USA/India), intranasal viral vector vaccine: India (September 2022).
• Pneucolin (China), intranasal viral vector vaccine: China (December 2022).

Self-amplifying mRNA:

• Gemcovac (India): India (June 2022).
• Kostaive (LUNAR-COV19) (USA): Japan (November 2023), European Union (February 2025).

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Addendum 2: Table of mucosal vaccines in clinical trials

* Indicates new entry since previous update post.

Note: Where there is a link to “All records” for a vaccine, that’s in my public Zotero collection for the vaccine, and it may include non-mucosal studies for that vaccine. Notes on that collection are here. For details on how I track Covid vaccine progress to maintain that collection, see my background post.

Vaccine, type, manufacturer	Mucosal version(s)	Phase 1 to 2 clinical trials	Phase 3+ trial(s)	Phase 3+ efficacy or immunogenicity results
ACM-001 Protein subunit ACM Biolabs (Singapore/Switzerland) (All records)	Intranasal.	Phase 1. Results (press release only)
Ad5-nCoV (Convidecia Air) Viral vector (adenovirus) CanSino (China) (All records)	Inhaled through the mouth using a nebulizer.	Phase 1. Results. Phase 1/2. Results (plus second later preprint). Phase 1/2. Results. Phase 2 (aged 6-17 years). Booster adapted for variant.	10,420 people in China (Phase 3). Results. 1,350 people (Phase 3). 540 people, in Malaysia (Phase 3). Results. 904 people in China (Phase 4). Results. 360 people (Phase 4). 451 people (Phase 4). Results. 10,000 people in China (Phase 4). Results for 4,089 in the Ad5-nCoV arms. (Previously in preprint.) * 450 people in China (Phase 4). Results.	904 people: Comparison after 2-dose course of inactivated vax: Convidecia injection vs inhaled, protein subunit, or CoronaVac booster (Phase 4 results). Both injected & inhaled Convidecia had stronger impact on signs of immunity than the others; response after inhaled version was slower but longer-lasting than injected (which peaked then declined from day 14), better for Omicron though not as good for original virus. No measure of mucosal immunity used. 539 people (Malaysia): Signs of serum immune response were lower for inhaled Convidecia than for injected BNT/Pfizer vax at 14 days, but grew for Convidecia to similar levels. Mucosal immune response (SIgA) was greater for Convidecia; the rate of adverse reactions was lower. 451 people: Comparison of different versions adapted for variant, including a bivalent version. Booster of inhaled Convidecia after previous vaccination with inactivated vaccine. Signs of immune response to Omicron were higher for the bivalent vaccine, though lower for the original SARS-CoV-2 strain. 4,089 people, plus a 2,008 un-randomized unboosted control group: This trial tested the original vax during Omicron, with either an injected or inhaled booster. There wasn’t a significant difference between them, though the injected version fell below their ineffectiveness threshold and the inhaled one reached effectiveness despite having a smaller dose of vaccine. 450 people: Convidecia showed less antibodies and higher mucosal signs of immunity than an mRNA vaccine. Waning at 6 months was similar for both.
Ad5-S Viral vector (adenovirus) State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease/Guangzhou Enbao Biomedical Technology Co (China) (All records)	Intranasal.	Infection prevention study.
AdCOVID Viral vector (adenovirus) AltImmune (USA) (All records)	Intranasal.	Phase 1. Results – press release only. Discontinued after phase 1.
AdS+N Viral vector (adenovirus) ImmunityBio (USA) (All records)	Intranasal, oral capsule, or sublingual.	Phase 1 (oral). Phase 1 (sublingual).
AeroVax (Ad5-triCoV) Viral vector (adenovirus) McMaster University/Canadian Institutes of Health Research (Canada) (All records)	Aerosol.	Phase 1 (& ChAd-triCoV/Mac). Results. Phase 2. Short protocol. Began enrolling in March 2025.
Avacc 10 Protein subunit Intravacc (Netherlands) (All records)	Intranasal.	Phase 1. Results (press release only)
bacTRL-Spike-1 Live attenuated Symvivo (Canada) (All records)	Oral.	Phase 1.
BBV154 (iNCOVACC) Viral vector (adenovirus) Bharat Biotech (India) (All records) This vaccine is ChAd-SARS-CoV-2-S Washington University in St Louis (USA) (All records)	Intranasal.	Phase 1. Phase 2. Small amount of data from these trials in the drug product information. Phase 2/3. Phase 2.	In India, 2-dose course of BBV154 vs 2-dose course of injected Covaxin inactivated vaccine (Phase 3 – and here). Results (previously in preprint). See also the drug product information. 875 people in India, booster trial (Phase 3). Results.	2,971 previously unvaxed people were assigned for the intranasal iNCOVACC, 161 for injected Covaxin. This trial did not aim to assess disease outcomes. It took place during the first Omicron wave. Signs of immune response were higher for iNCOVACC than Covaxin. Adverse events rate very low (5% local and 3% systemic) – lower than for comparison group. 875 previously vaxed people were boosted with iNCOVACC, Covaxin (inactivated vax) or Covishield (AstraZeneca viral vector vax). Not large enough to detect a difference in immune response. Lower rate of adverse reactions than Covishield.
B/​HPIV3/​S-6P Viral vector (parainfluenza) NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) (USA) (All records)	Intranasal.	Phase 1. Fully recruited by early July 2024.
BV-AdCoV-1 Viral vector (adenovirus) Wuhan BravoVax (China) (All records)	Inhaled through the mouth using a nebulizer.	Phase 1.
ChAdOx1 Viral vector (adenovirus) Oxford University (UK) (This is the AstraZeneca vax) (All records)	Intranasal.	Phase 1. Phase 1. Results.
CoV2-OGEN1 Protein subunit US Specialty Formulations/VaxForm (USA) (All records)	Oral.	Phase 1. (Fully recruited, final dose in November 2022.) Press release stating successful (without data) and progressing to phase 2 trial.
COVI-VAC Live attenuated Codagenix (USA, with the Serum Institute of India) (All records)	Intranasal.	Phase 1. Press release in 2021 stating successful (without data) and progressing to phase 2/3. Preliminary results (conference abstract in 2021) and in a 2022 press release. Results in 2023 (press release only). Phase 1 (booster).	Phase 2/3, as part of the WHO Solidarity Trial for Vaccines in Mali, Colombia, Kenya, Philippines, Sierra Leone. Fully recruited by July 2024. (Protocol.)
CVXGA1-001 Viral vector (parainfluenza) CyanVac/Blue Lake Biotech (USA) (All records)	Intranasal.	Phase 1. Results (formerly in press release only). Phase 2. Results (press release only). Phase 2b.
dNS1-RBD (Pneucolin) Viral vector (influenza) Beijing Wantai BioPharm (China) (All records)	Intranasal.	Phase 1. Phase 2. Joint results. Phase 1 (age 3-17). Results.	30,990 participants in Colombia, Philippines, South Africa, Vietnam. Results (previously in preprint.) 5,400 participants in Ghana (Phase 3).	Comparison of 2 doses of intranasal vaccine 14 days apart, with placebo control, during circulation of Omicron. Included >13,000 previously unvaccinated people. Efficacy shown 90 days after 2nd dose. There was some decline at 180 days. Efficacy against symptomatic Covid: No previous vax: 55.2% (CI 13.8 to 76.7) Inactivated: 38.2% (CI -49.2 to 74.4) Viral vector: 39.9% (CI -16.7 to 69.1) mRNA: 10.1% (CI -45.9 to 44.5) Efficacy against severe Covid: No previous vax: 66.7% (CI 8.3 to 87.9) Inactivated: 54.6% (CI -47.3 to 86.0) Viral vector: 50.0% (CI -6.8 to 76.6) mRNA: 19.5% (CI -39.2 to 53.4) Efficacy against hospitalization: 100% (CI -9.2 to 100) Adverse events were very low – similar to placebo. Less than 8% of people had a runny and/or blocked nose or sore throat.
FINCoVac Viral vector (adenovirus) Rokote Laboratories (Finland)	Intranasal.	Phase 1, 2nd registry record.
GAM-COVID-VAC (rAd26-S – Sputnik Light) Viral vector (adenovirus) Gamaleya Research Institute (Russia)	Intranasal.	Phase 1/2.	7,000 participants in Russia (Phase 3 or phase 2/3 – not clear).
GLS-5301 DNA GeneOne Life Science (South Korea)	Intranasal.	Phase 1. Results.
LVT001 Protein subunit LovalTech (France)	Intranasal.	Phase 1/2.
Mambisa Protein subunit Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology (CIGB) (Cuba) (All records)	Intranasal drops.	Phase 1/2. Phase 1/2. Results. Phase 2.
MPV/S-2P Viral vector (murine pneumonia) National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) (USA) (All records)	Intranasal drops.	Phase 1.
MV-014-212 Viral vector (RSV) Meissa Vaccines (USA) (All records)	Intranasal drops or spray.	Phase 1. Results (press release).		This vaccine is in limbo because of the company’s financial difficulties.
MVA-SARS-2ST Viral vector (MVA) German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF)/IDT Biologika (All records)	Inhalation.	Phase 1.
NB2155 Viral vector (Adenovirus 5) Guangzhou Medical University/ Guangzhou National Laboratory (All records)	Intranasal.	Phase 1.
CVAX-01 Viral vector (Newcastle Disease Virus) Castlevax/Icahn Mt Sinai (All records)	Intranasal.	Phase 1. Results (press release).
Ad5-S-Omicron BA.1 Viral vector (Adenovirus 5) Guangzhou Medical University/Guangzhou National Laboratory (China) (All records)	Intranasal	Phase 1. Results.
Patria (NDV-HXP-S/AVX-COVID-12-HEXAPRO) Viral vector (Newcastle Disease Virus) Laboratorio Avi-Mex (Mexico) (All records on Patria, see also CVAX-01 for early development.)	Intranasal.	Phase 1. Results. Phase 2. Results. (Previously available in preprint.)	Phase 2/3 for injected version only: Results. (Previously available in preprint.)
PRAK-03202 Protein subunit Oravax (USA) [Oravax was established by OraMed (Israel) to develop this vaccine, using Premas Biotech’s PRAK-03202 and their oral vaccine technology] (All records on oral PRAK-03202, and on intramuscular version)	Oral.	Phase 1 (in South Africa). Results (press release only).
Razi-Cov Pars Protein subunit Razi Vaccine & Serum Research Institute (Iran) (All records)	Intranasal (third dose after 2 injections).	Phase 1. Results. Phase 2. Results. Phase 1 to 2 (in 12-17 year-olds). Phase 4 (Booster). Results. Phase 1 to 2 (in 5-17 year-olds).	41,128 people in Iran, comparing the 3-dose course to 2-dose inactivated Sinopharm Beijing vax, only partially randomized (Phase 3). Results (Previous media report for the first 24,000 participants.)	Phase 3: The authors concluded Razi-Cov Pars was non-inferior to the inactivated vaccine, with similarly very low adverse events. However, the trial could not establish whether there was an advantage to an intranasal dose. Phase 4: Immunogenicity and safety study of intranasal booster in 195 people, placebo-controlled. Increased IgA and IgG anti-RBD in nasal mucosa, but not in serum and saliva.
SC-Ad6-1 Viral vector (adenovirus) Moat Bio/Tetherex (USA) (All records)	Intranasal and inhaled.	Phase 1. Trial expanded to add an inhaled version (from 130 to 190 people). Results so far briefly mentioned in press release.
SpikoGen Protein subunit Vaxine (Australia) (All records on mucosal and on all forms.)	Oral/sublingual.	Phase 1.
(Unnamed) Inactivated bacteria DreamTec (Hong Kong) (All records)	Oral.	Phase 1. Phase 1. Phase 1. Note: An article of preclinical results has been retracted over lack of ethics committee approval.
VXA-CoV2-1/VXA-CoV2-1.1-S Viral vector (adenovirus) Vaxart (USA) (All records)	Tablets.	Phase 1. Results. Phase 2. (Started October 1, 2021.) Results (press release). Additional brief results in presentation. Phase 2b. (Start announced September 30, 2024.)

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Addendum 3: Pancoronavirus vaccines with preclinical results

Developer Country Vaccine name	Type of: Vaccine Coronavirus	Preclinical results	Clinical trial status
Academia Sinica Taiwan (Taiwan) (Unnamed)	mRNA All	Non-primate
* Acuitas Therapeutics (Canada) (Unnamed)	mRNA Sarbeco	Primate, non-primate
Baylor College of Medicine (USA) (Unnamed)	Protein subunit Beta	Non-primate
Beijing University of Chemical Technology (China) (Unnamed)	Live attenuated pangolin coronavirus All	Non-primate
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center USA RhAd52.CoV.Consv	Viral vector Sarbeco	Non-primate
California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Ingenza USA, UK Mosaic-8b	Protein subunit Beta	Non-primate Non-primate Primate, non-primate Non-primate (previously in preprint) Non-primate (previously in preprint) Primate and non-primate Non-primate
Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin Germany NILV-PanCoVac	Viral vector All	Non-primate (mucosal)
China Cuba Joint Innovation Center China, Cuba PanCoV1, PanCoV2	Protein subunit Sarbeco	Non-primate (mucosal) Non-primate (mucosal) Non-primate (mucosal) Non-primate (mucosal) * Non-primate (previously in preprint) (mucosal) Primate (mucosal)
Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Pathogen Microbiology and Immunology China Unnamed	Protein subunit Sarbeco	Non-primate
Codiak USA exoVACC Pan Beta Coronavirus	Protein subunit Beta	Article on development Non-primate (conference slides) Non-primate (conference slides)	(This company began proceedings in bankruptcy court. See news.)
DIOSynvax UK DIOS-CoVax/ pEVAC-PS	mRNA Sarbeco	Non-primate Non-primate Non-primate (a different vaccine)	Phase 1 trial (incl. protocol). (Up to 36 participants in the UK) Began December 2021. Fully recruited. Expanded to another city – no trial register entry found.
Duke University USA Cov-RBD-scNP-001	Protein subunit Beta	Primate Primate, non-primate Non-primate (previously in preprint) Primate, non-primate	US government grant terminated in March 2025. Phase 1 trial. (Up to 51 people in the US) Not yet recruiting.
Francis Crick Institute UK (Unnamed)	Protein subunit with DNA boost All	Non-primate
Fudan University China HR1LS	Protein subunit Sarbeco	Primate, non-primate Primate Primate Non-primate
Georgia State University, University of Iowa USA SARS2-S (SARS-RBD)	mRNA Sarbeco	Non-primate Non-primate
Georgia State University USA Om-S-MERS-RBD	Protein subunit All	Non-primate
Georgia State University USA (Unnamed)	Protein subunit Sarbeco	Non-primate Primate, non-primate Non-primate
Guangdong Pharmaceutical University China (Unnamed)	Protein subunit All	Non-primate
Gylden Pharma (formerly Emergex) UK/USA CoronaTcP	Protein subunit Beta		Phase 1 trial (26 participants in Switzerland) Results. (Formerly preprint) Phase 1/2 trial (Up to 110 participants in the Philippines) (Not yet recruiting)
Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology South Korea (Unnamed)	Protein subunit Sarbeco	Non-primate
INSERM Vaccine Research Institute/Ennodc (formerly LinKinVax) France PanCov (CD40.CoV2/RBDv)	Protein subunit Sarbeco	Non-primate Primate, non-primate Primate Non-primate (conference poster) Non-primate	Phase 1/2 trial (Up to 240 participants in France) Booster trial; began recruiting in May 2024.
Johns Hopkins University USA Unnamed	Viral vector Sarbeco	Primate, non-primate
Mynvax Private India Unnamed	Protein subunit Sarbeco	Non-primate
National University of Singapore Singapore Clec9A-RBD	Protein subunit Sarbeco
Osivax France OVX033	Protein subunit Sarbeco	Non-primate	Phase 1 trial (48 participants in France) First participant vaccinated in February 2024. Fully recruited in June 2024.
Oxford University UK ChAdOx1.COVconsv12	Viral vector Sarbeco	Non-primate
Pennsylvania State University USA (Unnamed)	Protein subunit All	Non-primate
Scripps Research Institute USA (Unnamed)	Protein subunit Beta	Non-primate
Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University China rTTV-RBD-HA2	Viral vector Beta (plus influenza)	Non-primate (mucosal)
SK Bioscience/ Uni of Washington/Uni of North Carolina at Chapel Hill South Korea, USA GBP511	Protein subunit Sarbeco	Primate, non-primate (testing Covid vaccine GBP510 against other sarbecoviruses)	More on plans for adapting this vaccine – GBP510 authorized as SKYCovione. See the University of Washington research listed below in this table.
Stanford University/DXVX USA/South Korea DX-DRG-B05	Virus-like particle Beta	Non-primate Primate Erratum (correction to legend in a figure). Non-primate Non-primate (previously preprint)	Phase 1 clinical trials completed in the US (registered here) and South Africa (registered here), and planning underway for phase 2 trials in 2026 in South Korea, elsewhere in Asia, and the US.
State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease Guangzhou Medical University China (Unnamed)	Protein subunit Sarbeco	Primate and non-primate
Sun Yat-Sen University China FP-HR5-NP	Protein subunit Sarbeco	Non-primate (mucosal) Non-primate (mucosal)
Sun Yat-Sen University/Guangzhou Medical University China 3Rs-NC	Protein subunit Sarbeco	Non-primate (mucosal)
* University of Alberta Canada (Unnamed)	Peptide subunit All	Non-primate (mucosal) Non-primate (mucosal)
University of Amsterdam Netherlands (Unnamed)	Virus-like particle Sarbeco	Non-primate
University of California Irvine/Techimmune USA (Unnamed)	Viral vector Beta	Non-primate (previously in preprint) Non-primate (mucosal) (previously in preprint) Non-primate (previously in preprint) Non-primate (previously in preprint) (There was also a paper about this vaccine’s development in 2021.)	US government grant terminated in March 2025.
University of California Irvine/Techimmune USA (Unnamed)	mRNA All	Non-primate (mucosal) Non-primate Non-primate * Non-primate
University of Houston/Auravax USA NanoSTING-NS	Protein subunit (intranasal) Sarbeco	Non-primate Non-primate Non-primate Primate, non-primate
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill USA (Unnamed)	Viral vector Sarbeco	Non-primate (Previously in preprint)
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill USA (Unnamed)	mRNA Sarbeco	Non-primate
University of Sydney Australia CoVEXS5	Protein subunit Sarbeco	* Non-primate (Previously in preprint)
University of Toronto Canada (Unnamed)	Protein subunit Sarbeco	Non-primate
University of Washington USA (Unnamed)	Protein subunit Sarbeco	Non-primate (Previously in preprint) Non-primate Non-primate (MERS vaccine developed on the same platform as GBP511.)	(See “GBP511” above in this table.)
University of Wisconsin-Madison (PanCorVac) USA (Unnamed)	Protein subunit All	Non-primate Non-primate Non-primate Non-primate (previously in preprint)	US government grant terminated in March 2025.
VBI Vaccines Canada VBI-2901	eVLP All	Non-primate Non-primate (Press release)	This company declared bankruptcy in late 2024. Phase 1 trial (103 participants in Canada) Began October 2022. Fully recruited. (Further background info.) Results (press release only). (101 participants) Previously vaccinated people boosted with 2 low or high doses, or 1 high-dose. Limited data reported. Some signs of immune response to a range of coronaviruses, mostly lasting at least 5 months. No major safety concerns.
Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), University of Saskatchewan Canada Unnamed	Protein subunit Sarbeco	Non-primate
Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) USA SpFN/ALFQ	Protein subunit Beta	Non-primate Non-primate Non-primate (incl RFN) Non-primate Primate Primate Primate (with J&J vax)	Phase 1 trial (US) Began April 2021, with 29 participants, including some on placebo. Results. Vaxed participants showed immune responses to several Covid variants and several sarbecoviruses, but no signs of response to MERS.
Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) USA RFN	Protein subunit Beta	Non-primate (incl SpFN) Primate
Washington University in St Louis USA (Unnamed)	Viral vector Sarbeco	Non-primate (mucosal)
Yale University USA (Unnamed)	mRNA All	Non-primate Non-primate
Yale University/Xanadu Bio USA (Unnamed)	Protein subunit Sarbeco	Non-primate Non-primate

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Addendum 4: Definitions of vaccine types

• Mucosal vaccines: These enter the body the way the virus does – through mucosal tissues. It’s hoped that provides defence against infection. They can be administered via different routes – squirts or drops in the nose, inhaled through the mouth through a nebulizer (similar to an asthma medication), or in tablet, capsule, or sublingual form.

• Pan-SARS-CoV-2 or “variant-proof” vaccines: These aim to provide protection against any variant of the coronavirus that causes Covid-19.
  

• Pancoronavirus vaccines aim to protect against coronaviruses more broadly – sometimes called “universal coronavirus vaccine.” These vaccines can be targeted to:
  
  – the “subgroup” the 2 SARS viruses came from (the sarbecovirus subgenus),
  
  – coronaviruses from the next level up (the genus, betacoronavirus, which includes MERS as well as the sarbecoviruses), or
  
  – up to the whole coronavirus family, which has 4 genuses, including betacoronavirus and alphacoronavirus (with more common cold viruses).
  
  I classify a vaccine as a pancoronavirus one when the developers are explicitly targeting coronaviruses more broadly than SARS-CoV-2, and have tested for signs of response to non-SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus(es) (or clearly plan to).

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You can keep up with my work at my newsletter, Living With Evidence. And I’m active on Mastodon: @hildabast@mastodon.online and less so on BlueSky (hildabast.bsky.social).

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For details on how I track Covid vaccine progress, see my background post. Notes on my collection of studies are here. The collection is in a public Zotero library you can dig into here.

Previous update posts specifically on next generation Covid vaccines prior to this monthly series (beginning May 2023):

1. Mucosal vaccines (March 2022)
2. Pan-SARS-Cov-2 and pancoronavirus (July 2022)
3. Mucosal vaccines (July 2022)
4. Mucosal vaccines (September 2022)
5. Mucosal vaccines (April 2023)
6. Pancoronavirus vaccines (April 2023)

All my posts on Covid vaccines, beginning from March 2020, are tagged here.

All previous Covid-19 posts at Absolutely Maybe

My posts at The Atlantic and at WIRED.

Disclosures: My interest in Covid-19 vaccine trials began as a person worried about the virus, as my son was immunocompromised: I have no financial or professional interest in the vaccines. I have worked for an institute of the NIH in the past, but not one working on vaccines. More about me.

The cartoon is my own (CC BY-NC-ND license). (More cartoons at Statistically Funny.)