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