COVID-19: WRAIR Delivers Its Spike Ferritin Nanoparticle Vaccine for Human Testing
The U.S. Army Laboratory, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR), an element of Army Futures Command, announced that a vaccine they had been working on had been selected to undergo human trials.
- https://statnano.com/news/67717/COVID-1 ... an-Testing
October 16, 2020 -
WRAIR Announces COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate, Targets Clinical Trial Date
Dr. Kayvon Modjarrad
Scientists with the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC) say they expect to begin Phase 1 clinical trials of a vaccine designed to combat the novel coronavirus later this year. The news was delivered during a press briefing with national media outlets on October 14.
“There’s a lot that gives me encouragement about this vaccine approach that we’re taking,” said Dr. Kayvon Modjarrad, Director of Emerging Infectious Diseases at USAMRDC’s Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR), during the call.
Modjarrad noted that production of the vaccine candidate – which was developed internally at WRAIR – has already begun at WRAIR’s own bio-production facility. The vaccine, currently dubbed “SpFN” (short for “spike ferritin nanoparticle,” and pronounced “spiff-in” according to Modjarrad) employs ferritin, a protein found in almost all living organisms, to achieve its intended goal. By attaching a certain type of spike protein to a polymerized version of ferritin, WRAIR scientists hope the resulting vaccination dose will block COVID-19 infection. Scientists have already begun testing the candidate.
- https://www.army.mil/article/240023/wra ... trial_date
Dec. 8, 2021 -
We’re Getting Close to ‘Universal’ Vaccines. It Hasn’t Been Easy.
- https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/08/magazine/universal-vaccines.html
December 15, 2021 -
Universal Coronavirus Vaccines — An Urgent Need
We need a research approach that can characterize the global “coronaviral universe” in multiple species, characterize the natural history and pathogenesis of coronaviruses in laboratory animals and in humans, and apply this information in developing broadly protective “universal” vaccines (protecting against all betacoronaviruses, and ideally all coronaviruses).
- https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2118468
15 DEC 2021 -
What does Omicron mean for future COVID-19 vaccinations?
Yet another camp has embraced a bolder option. Rather than chasing SARS-CoV-2 variants with tailored shots, they say it’s better to push harder for universal coronavirus vaccines that would aim to protect against every new mutant of SARS-CoV-2, as well as other coronaviruses that nature might throw at humans in the future. Because of Omicron, “There is even stronger interest in our approach,” says Kayvon Modjarrad of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, who is spearheading the development of a pancoronavirus vaccine candidate that has just completed its phase 1 trial. Other pancoronavirus candidates may start their first trials in 2022.
- https://www.science.org/content/article/what-does-omicron-mean-future-covid-19-vaccinations
Dec. 16, 2021 -
Fauci pushes for universal coronavirus vaccine
The scientific quest for a universal coronavirus vaccine received a boost Wednesday, as three top federal researchers, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, outlined a path to develop new vaccines that could tackle a variety of ailments including Covid-19, some common colds and future viruses.
- https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/fauci-pushes-universal-coronavirus-vaccine-rcna8877
December 16, 2021 -
Series of preclinical studies supports the Army’s pan-coronavirus vaccine development strategy
SILVER SPRING, Md. – A series of recently published preclinical study results show that the Spike Ferritin Nanoparticle (SpFN) COVID-19 vaccine developed by researchers at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) not only elicits a potent immune response but may also provide broad protection against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern as well as other coronaviruses.
- https://www.army.mil/article/252890/ser ... t_strategy
DECEMBER 21, 2021 -
US Army Creates Single Vaccine Against All COVID & SARS Variants, Researchers Say
Within weeks, scientists at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research expect to announce that they have developed a vaccine that is effective against COVID-19 and all its variants, even Omicron, as well as previous SARS-origin viruses that have killed millions of people worldwide.
The achievement is the result of almost two years of work on the virus. The Army lab received its first DNA sequencing of the COVID-19 virus in early 2020. Very early on, Walter Reed’s infectious diseases branch decided to focus on making a vaccine that would work against not just the existing strain but all of its potential variants as well.
Walter Reed’s Spike Ferritin Nanoparticle COVID-19 vaccine, or SpFN, completed animal trials earlier this year with positive results. Phase 1 of human trials, wrapped up this month, again with positive results that are undergoing final review, Dr. Kayvon Modjarrad, director of Walter Reed’s infectious diseases branch, said in an exclusive interview with Defense One on Tuesday. The new vaccine will still need to undergo phase 2 and phase 3 trials.
- https://www.defenseone.com/technology/2 ... ts/360089/
