Intravacc is today touting positive pre-clinical results of its SARS-CoV-2 nasal spray vaccine candidate in non-human subjects.

Bilthoven, Netherlands-based Intravacc’s SARS-CoV-2 outer membrane vesicle (OMV)-based recombinant spike protein (rSp) nasal spray candidate was observed in four groups of mice and four groups of hamsters, all of which received two intranasal immunizations on day one and day 21, according to a news release.

One group of each animal received a vaccine based on OMVs mixed with rSp and the other a vaccine based on OMVs coupled to rSp based on Intravacc’s proprietary OMV click technology. Control animals received only OMVs or only rSp, respectively.

In the mice that received the CovOMV and CovOMV click vaccines, 30% and 90% virus-neutralizing antibodies were detected, respectively. Both candidate vaccines produced neutralizing antibodies in all hamsters, but the level in the click group was slightly higher compared to the other.

Intranasal vaccination with both OMV-rSp vaccine candidates resulted in complete protection after challenge, with zero lung lesions detected by histopathology, seven days after hamsters were challenged. All hamsters that received the vaccines showed reduced systemic weight loss after challenge, while unvaccinated animals or those in the control lost more than 10% of their bodyweight.

“We are very pleased with this pre-clinical data of our intranasal SARS-CoV-2 candidate vaccine,” Intravacc CEO Dr. Jan Groen said in the release. “This allows us to move quickly towards an in-human combined phase I and II clinical trial. Based on historical scientific and clinical data generated at Intravacc, I am convinced that we are well-positioned for the further development of this vaccine. This and previous data clearly demonstrate the value of our OMV-vaccine technology for future development of other preventive and therapeutic vaccines.”