As of this morning – Wednesday April 15 – the current recorded case count for COVID-19 (coronavirus) in the UK has hit 93,873 with 12,107 deaths.
Drug giants GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi are joining forces and technologies to develop an adjuvanted COVID-19 vaccine.
Under the collaboration, Sanofi will contribute its S-protein COVID-19 antigen, which is based on recombinant DNA technology.
According to the firms, this tech has produced an exact genetic match to proteins found on the surface of the virus, and the DNA sequence encoding this antigen has been combined into the DNA of the baculovirus expression platform, the basis of Sanofi’s licensed recombinant influenza product in the US.
GSK will contribute its proven pandemic adjuvant technology, which is designed to boost the immune response to a vaccine and can be of particular importance in a pandemic situation since it may reduce the amount of vaccine protein required per dose.
“This collaboration brings two of the world’s largest vaccines companies together,” said GSK’s chief executive Emma Walmsley. “By combining our science and our technologies, we believe we can help accelerate the global effort to develop a vaccine to protect as many people as possible from COVID-19.”
As previously announced by Sanofi, development of the recombinant-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate is being supported through funding and a collaboration with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) in the US.
“Strategic alliances among vaccine industry leaders are essential to make a coronavirus vaccine available as soon as possible,” commented BARDA Director Rick Bright. “Development of the adjuvanted recombinant-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate holds the potential to lower the vaccine dose to provide vaccine to a greater number of people to end this pandemic, and help the world become better prepared or even prevent future coronavirus outbreaks.”
The companies have set up a Joint Collaboration Task Force, co-chaired by David Loew, global head of Vaccines, Sanofi and Roger Connor, president Vaccines, GSK, which will strive to secure resources from both companies to look for every opportunity to accelerate the development of the candidate vaccine.
WASH YOUR HANDS:
Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water.
MAINTAIN SOCIAL DISTANCING:
Maintain at least two metres (six feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
STAY AT HOME:
Only go outside for food, health reasons or work (but only if you cannot work from home).
