COVID-19 vaccine development in Sask. aimed at current coronavirus plus future ones

Not only have they adapted their original COVID-19 vaccine to fight at least three variants of concern, but researchers at Saskatoon’s VIDO-InterVac are also working to develop a “universal” vaccine to fight various families of coronavirus.

“The idea is that if any member of these families mutates, you would still have a vaccine that is available right away for it and you don’t have to adjust your vaccine,” Dr. Volker Gerdts, VIDO-InterVac’s director and CEO, said Friday.

Right now, they’re testing the proof of concept and figuring out the similarities between families of coronavirus.

“Conceptually, we think it is possible to have a vaccine for a future coronavirus that we don’t even know what it is today to have that vaccine ready so that we’re prepared for it,” he said.

He likens it to having fire insurance.

“It costs you money to develop such a vaccine,” Gerdts said. “It costs you money to take it into clinical trials to demonstrate that it’s safe. But the advantage is you have it ready when the next coronavirus breaks out and you don’t have to try to catch up as we’re trying to do now.”

He says it’s a daunting task, but researchers around the world are also working on it. Gerdts believes the technology is there, but it will require more money and a lot more research.

He adds that support from all three levels of government is paramount to continuing their work.

The COVID-19 vaccine developed by VIDO InterVac has been modified to fight against at least three variants including the South African B.1.351, the U.K. B.1.1.7 and the P.1 Brazilian variants. They’re also testing to see whether it’s effective against the Indian variants.

“We do what is called a bridge study in which you compare the first generation and now the new generation of the vaccine and demonstrate that both are safe and equally work,” said Gerdts.

He is hoping once they get results on how well the modified vaccine works, it can be tested in countries where those viruses are dominant.