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The AAVCOVID vaccine program, a novel gene-based vaccine strategy that utilizes an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector, was granted an award for up to $2.1 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The grant will aid the effort to bring further preclinical validation to the AAV vaccine platform. An AAVCOVID vaccine candidate is set to enter clinical trials in 2021.
The AAVCOVID vaccine program was founded at Mass General Brigham at the outset of the pandemic.
Preliminary tests of the vaccines stability and potency at different temperatures revealed that AAVCOVID candidates remained potent and effective when stored at room temperature for up to one month. This room temperature stability and the fact AAVCOVID vaccines do not require cold-chain freezer storage, could enable this AAV-based platform to develop a vaccine for COVID-19 and other diseases for developing countries without the necessary cooling infrastructure some vaccines require.