CureVac Begins Combined Phase 1/2 Study for Avian Influenza H5N1 Vaccine with GSK

CureVac N.V., a biopharmaceutical company, announced the initiation of the Phase 1 portion of a combined Phase 1/2 study targeting the avian influenza (H5N1) virus, which is a recognized potential pandemic threat. This study assesses a monovalent vaccine leveraging CureVac's second-generation mRNA technology to express an influenza A H5 antigen. This development occurs under a broad infectious disease collaboration with GSK.

The study aims to evaluate the safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity of this pre-pandemic vaccine candidate among two age groups, adults aged 18 to 64 and those 65 to 85. Initial testing in the U.S. involves a dose-escalation phase to measure responses against a placebo. This follows CureVac’s established collaboration with GSK since July 2020, focusing on mRNA-technology for infectious diseases, including a second-generation COVID-19 vaccine.