Translate Bio, Sanofi COVID-19 vaccine candidate produces immune response in animal studies

(Reuters) - Translate Bio Inc (TBIO.O) said on Tuesday that an experimental coronavirus vaccine it developed with French drugmaker Sanofi SA (SASY.PA) induced immune response in non-human studies, with trials in humans expected to start in November.

In a regulatory filing, the company cited Sanofi's presentation slides showing that three doses of the vaccine candidate induced neutralizing antibodies and T-cell responses in animal studies.

Translate, which signed a potential $2 billion vaccine development deal with Sanofi last month, said their vaccine candidate is set to be evaluated in an early- to mid-stage human trial.

Other drugmakers racing to develop a safe and effective vaccine for COVID-19 are further ahead in their testing, with Moderna (MRNA.O), Johnson and Johnson (JNJ.N) and Pfizer (PFE.N) starting their late-stage studies.

Translate’s vaccine, like Moderna’s, uses mRNA technology which delivers proteins that produce immune response against the disease directly to target cells.

Sanofi is developing another COVID-19 vaccine candidate with British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline Plc (GSK.L).

In July, the U.S. government said it is providing $2.1 billion to Sanofi and GSK for COVID-19 vaccines to cover 50 million people and to underwrite the drugmakers’ testing and manufacturing.

The vaccine candidate, developed by Sanofi in partnership with GSK, is based on the recombinant protein technology used by Sanofi to produce an influenza vaccine, and GSK’s established pandemic adjuvant technology.

AUGUST 25, 2020 

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