Development of an inactivated vaccine candidate for SARS-CoV-2

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 369; no. 6499; pp. 77 - 81
• Main Authors: Gao, Qiang, Bao, Linlin, Mao, Haiyan, Wang, Lin, Xu, Kangwei, Yang, Minnan, Li, Yajing, Zhu, Ling, Wang, Nan, Lv, Zhe, Gao, Hong, Ge, Xiaoqin, Kan, Biao, Hu, Yaling, Liu, Jiangning, Cai, Fang, Jiang, Deyu, Yin, Yanhui, Qin, Chengfeng, Li, Jing, Gong, Xuejie, Lou, Xiuyu, Shi, Wen, Wu, Dongdong, Zhang, Hengming, Zhu, Lang, Deng, Wei, Li, Yurong, Lu, Jinxing, Li, Changgui, Wang, Xiangxi, Yin, Weidong, Zhang, Yanjun, Qin, Chuan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States The American Association for the Advancement of Science 03.07.2020; American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies; Antibodies, Neutralizing - biosynthesis; Antibodies, Neutralizing - blood; Antibodies, Neutralizing - immunology; Antibodies, Viral - biosynthesis; Antibodies, Viral - blood; Antibodies, Viral - immunology; Betacoronavirus - immunology; Betacoronavirus - isolation & purification; Chlorocebus aethiops; Coronaviridae; Coronavirus Infections - immunology; Coronavirus Infections - prevention & control; Coronavirus Infections - virology; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 Vaccines; Dosage; Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; Female; Immunization; Immunogenicity, Vaccine; Immunoglobulin G - biosynthesis; Immunoglobulin G - blood; Immunoglobulin G - immunology; Infections; Macaca mulatta; Male; Medical research; Medicine; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Microbio; Monkeys; Neutralizing; Pandemics; Pandemics - prevention & control; Pharynx; Pilot Projects; Pneumonia, Viral - prevention & control; Pneumonia, Viral - virology; Primates; Public health; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Respiratory diseases; SARS-CoV-2; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Strains (organisms); Vaccines; Vaccines, Inactivated - administration & dosage; Vaccines, Inactivated - adverse effects; Vaccines, Inactivated - immunology; Vero Cells; Viral diseases; Viral Load; Viral Vaccines - administration & dosage; Viral Vaccines - adverse effects; Viral Vaccines - immunology; Viruses
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.abc1932

Global spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has led to an urgent race to develop a vaccine. Gao et al. report preclinical results of an early vaccine candidate called PiCoVacc, which protected rhesus macaque monkeys against SARS-CoV-2 infection when analyzed in short-term studies. The researchers obtained multiple SARS-CoV-2 strains from 11 hospitalized patients across the world and then chemically inactivated the harmful properties of the virus. Animals were immunized with one of two vaccine doses and then inoculated with SARS-CoV-2. Those that received the lowest dose showed signs of controlling the infection, and those receiving the highest dose appeared more protected and did not have detectable viral loads in the pharynx or lungs at 7 days after infection. The next steps will be testing for safety and efficacy in humans. Science , this issue p. 77 Preclinical results of an early vaccine candidate that protected rhesus macaque monkeys against SARS-CoV-2 infection are presented. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in an unprecedented public health crisis. Because of the novelty of the virus, there are currently no SARS-CoV-2–specific treatments or vaccines available. Therefore, rapid development of effective vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 are urgently needed. Here, we developed a pilot-scale production of PiCoVacc, a purified inactivated SARS-CoV-2 virus vaccine candidate, which induced SARS-CoV-2–specific neutralizing antibodies in mice, rats, and nonhuman primates. These antibodies neutralized 10 representative SARS-CoV-2 strains, suggesting a possible broader neutralizing ability against other strains. Three immunizations using two different doses, 3 or 6 micrograms per dose, provided partial or complete protection in macaques against SARS-CoV-2 challenge, respectively, without observable antibody-dependent enhancement of infection. These data support the clinical development and testing of PiCoVacc for use in humans.