The tübingen-based company CureVac is allowed to start clinical testing of its vaccine candidates against the Coronavirus.
The competent Paul-Ehrlich-Institut (PEI) in Langen, gave the company the approval to test the drug in healthy volunteers, such as the Federal Institute for vaccines and biomedical pharmaceuticals announced on Wednesday.
In June should be vaccinated in the Phase 1 study first subjects. At the end of April had already been sent to the company in Mainz Biontech approval to test its drug in healthy volunteers.
CureVac is working on so-called mRNA-vaccines. mRNA is a type of messenger molecule, in which the Instructions for the production of proteins is.
For your vaccine CureVac have provided researchers mRNA with the Instruction for a Protein of the Coronavirus. The human cells after vaccination of this Protein, which the body recognizes as foreign. He, however, makes antibodies and other immune cells.
“The immune response, we want to trigger, is very similar to the natural immune response,” said Mariola Fotin-Mleczek, for technology responsible member of the management Board of the company.
Prior to a clinical study, the necessary preliminary tests are successful, the company said on its website.
Corona vaccine: study results expected in autumn
The company researched since the year 2000, mRNA vaccines. “We consider ourselves as a pioneer in the development of mRNA-based therapies,” said Franz-Werner Haas, member of the Board of CureVac. Since the end of January to work on the development of the Corona vaccine candidates.
In the Phase 1 study a total of 168 healthy adult volunteers to participate, of which 144 are vaccinated.
In this Phase checks the safety of the drug and whether it actually triggers a defensive reaction in the body. In the fall of first data should be available.
Test centers are located in Tübingen, Hannover, Munich and in the Belgian city of Ghent.
On Monday, the business announced Ministry, to contribute 300 million euros to the organization and to take on around 23 per cent of the shares.
They wanted to hedge it so even against a possible Takeover from abroad. On business decisions, the state would have no influence.
Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa)
*The contribution of the “Federal Institute for vaccines: approval for second Corona vaccine study” is published by FitForFun. Contact with the executives here.