Inovio confirms its Covid vaccine is safe in mid-stage trials
Inovio Pharmaceuticals has confirmed its Covid-19 vaccine candidate is safe in a mid-stage clinical trial, as it produces immune responses against the virus in all tested age groups.
The trial, which included around 400 participants aged 18 years and older at 16 US sites, used a 2mg dose for the phase three segment of the trial.
The drug, known as INO-4800, has had its trials funded by the US Department of Defence since last year.
The company’s shares were up 5.22 per cent on Friday afternoon at $6.85 on Nasdaq.
The US-based pharmaceutical firm plans to file preliminary mid-stage results with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Reuters reported.
The drug is also the only DNA-based vaccine that is stable at room temperature for more than a year, at 37 degrees for over a month and has a five-year shelf life.
“Our Phase two results validate our initial Covid-19 Phase one results in a larger population, which show that INO-4800 continues to be generally safe, well-tolerated and immunogenic in all studied age groups,” Inovio’s chief scientific officer, Dr Laurent M. Humeau said.
Phase one of the study showed the vaccine was well tolerated and induced high levels of antibody responses in roughly 95 per cent of study participants.