COVID-19 vaccine platforms: Delivering on a promise?

Figures & data

Figure 1. Vaccine platforms being developed for COVID-19

Table 1. COVID-19 Vaccine Candidates in Development, Grouped by Platform

Platform	Developer (Vaccine Name or Type and adjuvant, if reported)	Doses^a	Clinical Stage^b
Inactivated Virus	Sinovac Research and Development Co., Ltd (CoronaVac)	2	EUA^C
	Sinopharm, China National Biotec Group Co., Wuhan Institute of Biological Products	2	EUA^C
	Sinopharm, China National Biotec Group Co., Beijing Institute of Biological Products	2	EUA^C
	Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences	2	Phase 3
	Research Institute for Biological Safety Problems, Rep of Kazakhstan (QazCovid-in®)	2	Phase 3
	Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBV152)	2	Phase 3
	Beijing Minhai Biotechnology Co.	1–3	Phase 2
	Valneva, National Institute for Health Research, United Kingdom (VLA2001)	2	Phase 1/2
	Erciyes University (ERUCOV-VAC)	2	Phase 1
Viral Vector	AstraZeneca, University of Oxford (ChAdOx1-S – (AZD1222), Covishield)	1–2	EUA^EU
	CanSino Biological Inc., Beijing Institute of Biotechnology (Adenovirus type 5 vector)	1	Phase 3
	Gamaleya Research Institute, Health Ministry of the Russian Federation (Gam-COVID-Vac (rAd26-S+ rAd5-S))	2	EUA^R
	Janssen Pharmaceutical (Johnson & Johnson) (Ad26.COV2.S)	1–2	Phase 3^US, EU
	ReiThera, Leukocare, Univercells (GRAd-COV2)	1	Phase 1
	Vaxart (VXA-CoV2-1 Ad5 adjuvanted oral platform)	2	Phase 1
	University of Munich (Ludwig-Maximilians) (MVA-SARS-2-S)	2	Phase 1
	Merck & Co., Themis, Sharp & Dohme, Institute Pasteur, University of Pittsburgh (V591-001)	1–2	Development Halted
	University of Hong Kong, Xiamen University, Beijing Wantai Biological Pharmacy (DelNS1–2019-nCoV-RBD-OPT1)	1	Phase 2
	Shenzhen Geno-Immune Medical Institute (Covid-19/aAPC)	3	Phase 1
	Shenzhen Geno-Immune Medical Institute (LV-SMENP-DC)	1	Phase 1/2
	ImmunityBio, Inc., NantKwest, Inc. (hAd5-S-Fusion+N-ETSD)	1–2	Phase 1
	City of Hope Medical Center, National Cancer Institute (COH04S1 (MVA-SARS-2-S))	1–2	Phase 1
	Israel Institute for Biological Research (rVSV-SARS-CoV-2-S)	1	Phase 1/2
	Aivita Biomedical, National Institute of Health Research and Development, Ministry of Health Republic of Indonesia (Dendritic cell vaccine AV-COVID-19)	1	Phase 1/2
	Cellid Co., Ltd. (AdCLD-CoV19)	1	Phase 1/2
	Altimmune, Inc. (AdCOVID)	1–2	Phase 1
VLP	Serum Institute of India, Accelagen Pty, SpyBiotech (RBD SARS-CoV-2 HBsAg)	2	Phase 1/2
	Medicago Inc. (CoVLP)	2	Phase 2/3
Subunit	Novavax (SARS-CoV-2 rS & Matrix M1 adjuvant)	2	Phase 3
	Anhui Zhifei Longcom Biopharmaceutical, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences	2–3	Phase 3
	Kentucky Bioprocessing Inc. (KBP-COVID-1, receptor binding domain-based)	2	Phase 1/2
	Sanofi Pasteur, GSK (spike protein formulation with adjuvant)	2	Phase 1/2
	Clover Biopharmaceuticals Inc., GSK, Dynavax (SCB-2019 & AS03 or CpG 1018 and alum adjuvant)	2	Phase 2/3
	Vaxine Pty Ltd. (COVAX-19® spike protein & adjuvant)	1	Phase 1
	CSL Ltd. + Seqirus, University of Queensland (UQ-CSL V451 & MF59 adjuvant)	2	Development Halted
	Medigen Vaccine Biologics, Dynavax, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) (MVC-COV1901, S protein & CpG 1018 adjuvant)	2	Phase 2/3
	Instituto Finlay de Vacunas (FINLAY-FR, receptor binding domain-based & adjuvant)	2	Phase 2
	Federal Budgetary Research Institution State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology “Vector” (EpiVacCorona peptide antigens)	2	Phase 1/2
	West China Hospital, Sichuan University (receptor binding domain-based)	2	Phase 2
	University Hospital Tuebingen (IMP CoVac-1, SARS-CoV-2 HLA-DR peptides)	1	Phase 1
	COVAXX, United Biomedical, Inc. (UB-612 (spike protein & receptor binding domain-based)	2	Phase 2/3
	Adimmune Corporation (AdimrSC-2f, receptor binding domain-based with and without aluminum)	Unknown	Phase 1
	Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB) (CIGB-669, receptor binding domain-based & AgnHB)	3	Phase 1/2
	Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB) (CIGB-66, receptor binding domain-based & aluminum hydroxide)	3	Phase 1/2
	Biological ELimited (BECOV2)	2	Phase 1/2
	Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology (S protein & aluminum adjuvant)	2	Phase 1/2
	Shionogi (S-268019)	2	Phase 1/2
	University Medical Center Groningen, Akston Biosciences Inc. (receptor binding domain-based Fc fusion protein)	Unknown	Phase 1/2
	Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), Seppic, Vaccine Formulation Institute (VFI) (COVAC-1/COVAC-2, spike protein & SWE adjuvant)	2	Phase 1/2
DNA	Inovio Pharmaceuticals + International Vaccine Institute, Advaccine (Suzhou) Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (INO-4800 & electroporation)	2	Phase 2/3
	AnGes + Takara Bio, Osaka University (AG0301-COVID19)	2	Phase 2/3
	Zydus Cadila (nCov vaccine)	3	Phase 3
	Genexine Consortium (GX-19)	2	Phase 1/2
	Entos Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Covigenix VAX-001)	2	Phase 1
	Providence Health & Services (CORVax – S Protein Plasmid DNA Vaccine)	2	Phase 1
	Symvivo Corporation (bacTRL-Spike oral DNA vaccine)	1	Phase 1
	GeneOne Life Science, Inc. (GLS-5310)	2	Phase 1/2
RNA	Moderna + National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) (mRNA −1273)	2	EUA^US
	Pfizer/BioNTech, Fosun Pharma (BNT162, 3 LNP-mRNAs)	2	EUA^US, EU
	CureVac AG (CVnCoV)	2	Phase 3
	Arcturus Therapeutics (ARCT-021)	Unknown	Phase 2
	Imperial College London (LNP-nCoVsaRNA)	2	Phase 1
	Academy of Military Science (AMS), Walvax Biotechnology and Suzhou Abogen Biosciences (ARCoV)	2	Phase 1
	Chulalongkorn University (ChulaCov19)	2	Phase 1
Live, Attenuated	Codagenix/Serum Institute of India (COVI-VAC)	1-2	Phase 1

EUA, Emergency Use Authorization in; C, China, R, Russia; US, United States; EU, European Union & United Kingdom; note, these vaccines may also be approved for use in other countries.

^aMost vaccine candidates will require two doses administered 14 to 56 days apart.

^bClinical phase of development as reported by WHO on February 2, 2020 (DRAFT landscape of COVID-19 candidate vaccines). www.who.int/publications/m/item/draft-landscape-of-covid-19-candidate-vaccines.

Figure 2. SARS-CoV-2

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes the respiratory illness known as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). SARS-CoV-2 is an envelope virus 50–200 nanometers in diameter. It expresses several genes required for transmission and propagation, including those encoding spike (S) proteins 

 that allow the virus to attach to and fuse with the infected host’s cells. The RNA genome 

 is organized and maintained within the envelope.

Table 2. USP-NF general chapters for best practices

To control the quantity and size of residual host cell DNA and host cell proteins

<1130> Nucleic Acid-Based Techniques – Approaches for Detecting Trace Nucleic Acids

<1132> Residual Host Cell Protein Measurement in Biopharmaceuticals

For different classes of vaccines

<1234> Vaccines for Human Use – Polysaccharide and Glycoconjugate Vaccines

<1235> Vaccines for Human Use – General Considerations

<1238> Vaccines for Human Use – Bacterial Vaccines

<1239> Vaccines for Human Use – Viral Vaccines

For biological assays

<1032> Design and Development of Biological Assays

<1033> Biological Assay Validation

<1034> Analysis of Biological Assays