Dynavax Teams Up With Medigen for COVID-19 Vaccine

Dynavax has partnered with Taiwan-based Medigen Vaccine Biologics to develop a COVID-19 vaccine candidate. The partners will evaluate Medigen’s recombinant form of the SARS-CoV2 spike protein combined with Dynavax’s CpG1018 adjuvant.

In preclinical studies, the combination generated strong immune responses in animals. Medigen plans to begin phase 1 human testing of the vaccine in September.

CpG1018 is the adjuvant used in Dynavax’s hepatitis B vaccine HEPLISAV-B. It is currently being tested in other COVID-19 vaccines, including one being developed by Clover Biopharmaceuticals (DID, June 22).