CanSino Biologics Inc. will be presenting clinical trial data for the recombinant COVID-19 vaccine (adenovirus type 5 vector) for inhalation (with the trade name Convidecia Air) at World Vaccine Congress (WVC) Europe to be held October 11 to 14, 2022 in Barcelona, Spain.
Jean-Denis Shu, vice president for medical affairs of CanSino Biologics will be presenting data to show Convidecia Air induces a strong and lasting immune response, with greater immunogenicity against the Omicron variant than recombinant protein or inactivated vaccines.
The neutralizing antibody levels against the Omicron variant with Convidecia Air are also double those of the intramuscular version, Convidecia. Convidecia Air received approval to be used as a booster in China in September 2022 and was approved for clinical trials in Malaysia in August 2022.
First inhaled vaccine
“This is an exciting breakthrough for our fight against COVID-19. Convidecia Air provides an added layer of mucosal immunity that can potentially block the transmission of virus variants. We are so proud of the teamwork that has led to the first-ever inhaled vaccine ready to be commercialized worldwide,” said Pierre Morgon, executive vice president for portfolio strategy and supranational affairs of CanSino Biologics.
“We are delighted that, with the approval of Convidecia Air in China, and hopefully in other countries to come, we can help strengthen protection against the virus with this innovative vaccine option that is needle-free, painless and non-invasive.”
A peer-reviewed study published by The Lancet in July 2021 indicated that Convidecia Air is safe to use and can induce strong humoral, cellular and mucosal immunity with only one-fifth of the dosage of the intramuscular version of CanSinoBIO’s COVID-19 vaccine.
The inhaled treatment can achieve triple protection as it triggers a mucosal immune response in addition to humoral and cellular immunity observed in people administered with intramuscular vaccines. Mucosal immune response develops in the respiratory tract, where COVID-19 takes hold, meaning it can reduce virus carriage and prevent potential transmission to other individuals.
Both Convidecia and Convidecia Air can be stored and transported between 2°C to 8°C. The ease in transport, storage and delivery ofConvidecia Air provides more advantages for countries that lack adequate infrastructure support to roll out vaccination programs, which the company said makes Convidecia Air a more effective and efficient option as heterologous booster for quick and mass-scale protection.