A New York drug manufacturer has gotten the nod to initiate human trials of a possible COVID-19 vaccine delivered through simple nasal drops.
Codagenix, based in Long Island, announced on Monday that it has received regulatory approval in the UK to initiate Phase 1 testing, with 48 volunteers to receive treatment starting the first week of January.
Its COVI-VAC has already “shown to be safe and effective in preclinical animal studies” – and “may elicit a more robust immune response and long-lasting cellular immunity” than other vaccines, the company said.
Unlike Pfizer’s vaccine, which was used this week in the US, the Codagenix candidate weeks later does not need a syringe or a second dose – nor does it need to be stored at 94 degrees below zero.
“The potential of COVI-VAC to meet global demand as a single dose needle-free vaccine that only a standard freezer or refrigerator requires cannot be overstated,” said J. Robert Coleman, CEO of Codagenix.
The phase 1 trial will be a randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled trial, using a single dose of COVI-VAC through nasal drops, the company, which is based in Broad Hollow Bioscience Research Park in Farmingdale, said.