CEPI to co-fund Vaxxinity's Phase III UB-612 trial to combat SARS-CoV-2 variants

Shares of Texas, USA-based vaccines developer Vaxxinity (Nasdaq: VAXX) were up more than 3% to $4.49 pre-market today, as it revealed that the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) will co-fund the ongoing global pivotal Phase III clinical trial of Vaxxinity's next generation UB-612 COVID-19 vaccine candidate as a heterologous - or 'mix-and-match' - booster dose. The CEPI will provide up to $9.25 million in funding.

The Phase III trial, which began in the USA earlier this year, is evaluating the ability of UB-612 to boost COVID-19 immunity against the original strain and multiple variants of concern including Omicron - in people aged 16 years or older, who have been previously immunized with an authorized COVID-19 vaccine.

Prior to joining the trial, participants will have received a primary regimen of one of the vaccines developed by AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN), Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) and BioNTech (Nasdaq: BNTX), Sinopharm, or Sinovac, all of which are being distributed by COVAX, which primarily supplies to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Participants are being assessed for safety and immunogenicity after a single booster dose of UB-612, or a homologous booster (ie, a booster dose of the same vaccine the participant has received before), enabling comparisons between UB-612 and other regimens.