Freeze-dried, nanoparticle-based COVID-19 vaccine

About the Project

With an expected cost of less than a dollar a dose and no cold-chain required for transport or storage, this second-generation vaccine developed by Peter Kim, PhD and his team has the potential to be a game-changer in the fight against COVID-19 and potentially future pandemics, especially in remote and resource-limited settings. Phase 1 clinical trials were launched this spring in the United States and South Africa. Thanks in part to the support they received from the IMA, they were able to develop their vaccine rapidly—it took only about four weeks from initial concept to first animal tests. Kim and his team are prepared to apply their technology to create more universal coronavirus vaccines to immunize against SARS-CoV-1, MERS, SARS-CoV-2, and future coronaviruses, thus creating a whole new platform for vaccine distribution.