Vaxart’s Oral COVID-19 Vaccine Chosen for Operation Warp Speed

Vaxart, a clinical-stage biotechnology company located in San Francisco, CA, announced on June 26, 2020 that its oral COVID-19 vaccine has been chosen to participate in a non-human primate challenge study organized and funded by Operation Warp Speed, a national program working to provide quantities of COVID-19 vaccines for the United States by January 2021.

“We are very pleased to be one of the few companies selected by Operation Warp Speed, and that ours is the only oral vaccine being evaluated.  SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, is primarily transmitted by viral particles that enter through the mucosa-nose, mouth or eyes-strongly suggesting that mucosal immunity could serve as the first line of defense,” said Andrei Floroiu, CEO of Vaxart, in a company press release. “In addition, our vaccine is a room temperature-stable tablet, an enormous logistical advantage in large vaccination campaigns.”

Source: Vaxart