Inovio COVID-19 vaccine

Inovio COVID-19 Vaccine

The Inovio COVID-19 vaccine, also known as INO-4800, is a DNA vaccine candidate developed by Inovio Pharmaceuticals for the prevention of the COVID-19 caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Development

The development of the Inovio COVID-19 vaccine began in January 2020, shortly after the genetic sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus was made available. The vaccine is based on Inovio's proprietary DNA medicine platform, which has been used to develop treatments for HPV-related diseases, cancer, and infectious diseases.

Mechanism

The Inovio COVID-19 vaccine works by introducing a small, circular piece of DNA called a plasmid into the body. This plasmid contains the instructions for making a piece of the spike protein found on the surface of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Once inside the body's cells, these instructions are used to produce the spike protein, which triggers an immune response.

Clinical Trials

The Inovio COVID-19 vaccine has undergone multiple phases of clinical trials. The Phase 1 trial, which began in April 2020, involved 40 healthy volunteers and aimed to assess the safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine. The Phase 2 trial began in August 2020 and expanded the study to include older adults and people with chronic health conditions. As of 2021, the vaccine is in Phase 3 trials.

Efficacy

The efficacy of the Inovio COVID-19 vaccine is still under investigation. Preliminary results from the Phase 1 trial showed that the vaccine was well-tolerated and induced immune responses in 94% of participants. However, more data is needed from the ongoing Phase 3 trial to determine the vaccine's overall efficacy against COVID-19.

See Also

• COVID-19 vaccine
• COVID-19 pandemic
• Inovio Pharmaceuticals
• DNA vaccine