CureVac Gets Green Light to Start COVID-19 Vaccine Trial

CureVac has won approval in Germany and Belgium for a phase 1 trial of its COVID-19 vaccine, just days after the German government announced it was acquiring a 23 percent stake in the company.

The German government will get early access to a vaccine supply, but it has denied that the $338 million investment amounts to nationalization of the company  (DID, June 16). The company anticipates entering phase 2 trials in the fall.

CureVac’s German rival, BioNTech, has partnered with Pfizer to develop a COVID-19 vaccine. Its candidate became the first to enter human trials in Germany when the first patient was dosed on May 23.

There are currently 11 COVID-19 vaccine candidates being tested in humans, according to the World Health Organization. — Suz Redfearn