Immunogenicity and efficacy of VLA2001 vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 infection in male cynomolgus macaques.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The fight against COVID-19 requires mass vaccination strategies, and vaccines inducing durable cross-protective responses are still needed. Inactivated vaccines have proven lasting efficacy against many pathogens and good safety records. They contain multiple protein antigens that may improve response breadth and can be easily adapted every year to maintain preparedness for future seasonally emerging variants. METHODS: The vaccine dose was determined using ELISA and pseudoviral particle-based neutralization assay in the mice. The immunogenicity was assessed in the non-human primates with multiplex ELISA, neutralization assays, ELISpot and intracellular staining. The efficacy was demonstrated by viral quantification in fluids using RT-qPCR and respiratory tissue lesions evaluation. RESULTS: Here we report the immunogenicity and efficacy of VLA2001 in animal models. VLA2001 formulated with alum and the TLR9 agonist CpG 1018™ adjuvant generate a Th1-biased immune response and serum neutralizing antibodies in female BALB/c mice. In male cynomolgus macaques, two injections of VLA2001 are sufficient to induce specific and polyfunctional CD4+ T cell responses, predominantly Th1-biased, and high levels of antibodies neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 infection in cell culture. These antibodies also inhibit the binding of the Spike protein to human ACE2 receptor of several variants of concern most resistant to neutralization. After exposure to a high dose of homologous SARS-CoV-2, vaccinated groups exhibit significant levels of protection from viral replication in the upper and lower respiratory tracts and from lung tissue inflammation. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate that the VLA2001 adjuvanted vaccine is immunogenic both in mouse and NHP models and prevent cynomolgus macaques from the viruses responsible of COVID-19.

Mass vaccination in response to the COVID-19 pandemic has substantially reduced the number of severe cases and hospitalizations. As the virus continues to evolve and give rise to new variants that cause local outbreaks, there is a need to develop new vaccine candidates capable of stopping the viral transmission. In this study, we explore the immune responses induced by the vaccine candidate VLA2001 in animal models. We highlight the vaccine's ability to induce an immune response capable of blocking the virus and eliminating infected cells. We show that it can protect the host from developing severe disease.