Preclinical studies of a COVID-19 vaccine candidate at the University of Alabama at Birmingham show positive results that appear to distinguish this vaccine candidate from other vaccine candidates that are currently in advanced stages of clinical development, the Maryland-based Altimmune Inc. announced today.
Unlike the other candidates that are administered by an intramuscular shot, the Altimmune candidate, AdCOVID, is administered by a single intranasal spray. In animal models at UAB, that single dose resulted in a potent T-cell response at the mucus layer of the lungs, including killer CD8+ T-cells, which can recognize and kill virally infected cells. Recent reports have suggested the importance of T-cell responses for long-term protection from COVID-19.
