EnGeneIC has reported that its second-generation Covid-19 EnGeneIC Dream Vector (EDV) vaccine offers protection against all variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in clinical trials.
In the trials, the vaccine showed to act by inducing an immune pathway which is different from other vaccines, to produce ‘high affinity’ antibodies that neutralise all variants.
At present, the company is carrying out trials of the vaccine in Sydney and Melbourne in Australia.
EnGeneIC dosed 32 healthy subjects with two vaccine doses administered at a gap of three weeks.
Of those subjects, 27 passed the 28-day safety assessment without any side effects.
All of them had high-affinity antibodies that could neutralise all Covid-19 variants such as Omicron.
Furthermore, increased neutralising antibody levels against all variants, including Omicron BA2 and memory response were observed in trial subjects.
EnGeneIC founder and joint CEO Dr Himanshu Brahmbhatt said: “We’re using the power of the immune system to fight infectious diseases like Covid-19 and its mutants by producing high-affinity antibodies.
“So, even if the spike protein mutates or changes, our antibodies still stick to it tightly and neutralise it.”
As per the trials in subjects with late-stage cancer, the company believes that its Covid-19 vaccine could be effective in immune-compromised people.
Trials in severely immune-compromised people and Australians aged over 75 years with weak immune systems are anticipated to commence in July/August this year in Sydney and Melbourne.
EnGeneIC is also seeking more participants for the trial underway in healthy subjects.
On receiving Ethics approval next month, enrolment of immune-compromised subjects will begin.
