Researchers at McMaster University have launched a phase-2 clinical trial for a next-generation, inhaled COVID-19 vaccine designed to provide stronger protection against SARS-CoV-2 by directly targeting the lungs and upper airways.
The clinical trial, supported by $8M from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), is a key milestone in the development of needle-free vaccines.
The vaccine, part of the AeroVax study, aims to enhance immunity in the respiratory system, where the virus first enters the body.
Led by Fiona Smaill and Zhou Xing of the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, the multi-centre trial will involve participants from Hamilton, Ottawa, and Halifax.
With 350 Canadian participants, the study will assess the vaccine’s safety and its ability to induce a stronger immune response compared to traditional injected vaccines.
Preliminary results from earlier trials suggest that McMaster’s inhaled vaccine is more effective at stimulating immune responses in the lungs, offering a potentially more robust solution to recurrent COVID-19 infections.
“The current injected vaccines have done a great job reducing death and hospitalization, but they haven’t fully prevented recurrent infections,” said Smaill. “We aim to offer direct, robust protection at the site where the virus first attacks.”
The Canadian-made vaccine is undergoing its clinical testing with local experts and participants, making it a fully Canadian innovation.
The trial will continue to advance as researchers aim for phase-3 trials, where the vaccine will be tested on a larger population to establish its efficacy and safety before market approval.
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