BARDA partners with Merck, IAVI on COVID-19 vaccine development

The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) will collaborate with Merck and IAVI to accelerate development of an rVSV-SARS-CoV2 (recombinant) COVID-19 vaccine.

By leveraging experience from the manufacturing process for the FDA-licensed Ebola vaccine, ERVEBO®, this partnership allows streamlined development of a COVID-19 vaccine. Based on experience with the rVSV-based Ebola vaccine, a COVID-19 vaccine using the same rVSV platform, has potential to provide a rapid and robust immune response that could provide protection against COVID-19 after a single dose.

Vaccination against COVID-19 will strengthen the nation’s ability to protect those at home and abroad from health security threats and to save lives. This award is one component of BARDA’s rapidly expanding COVID-19 medical countermeasure portfolio; visit BARDA’s COVID-19 Portfolio to learn more.

Read more: https://www.medicalcountermeasures.gov/newsroom/2020/merck-iavi/