Staffordshire-based medical manufacturer, Cobra Biologics is part of a consortium that is looking to combat the COVID-19 outbreak...
Keele-based Cobra Biologics, a renowned manufacturer for biologics and pharmaceuticals, is part of an international consortium that is looking to tackle the COVID-19 outbreak.
The global consortium, known as ‘OPENCORONA’, is made up of leading medical authorities (such as Karolinska Institutet, one of the world’s top medical universities) and is moving into Phase I of clinical trials for a DNA vaccine against COVID-19. The group will look to utilise Cobra’s large scale DNA capabilities to produce the plasmid DNA for the project .
Other partners in the consortium include Karolinska University Hospital, Public Health Authority (FoHM), IGEA, Adlego AB and Giessen University.
OPENCORONA
The OPENCORONA project was recently awarded €3million of funding by Horizon 2020 to support with emergency research and development of a COVID-19 vaccine.
The aim of the project is to manufacture a DNA vaccine, which will be delivered to patient muscle to generate a viral antigen on which the immune system then reacts.
To date, no approved human COVID-19 vaccine (or biological therapy) exists, and in response to the outbreak, speed of research and development is critical. OPENCORONA will harness each partner’s expertise and experience in reliable development and manufacturing within the medical field.
Peter Coleman, Chief Executive at Cobra Biologics, commented:
“The partners within the OPENCORONA consortium are all industry experts, with the expertise, track record and belief to deliver a successful outcome. Cobra is privileged to have been invited to participate and contribute to fight against COVID-19, as this virus continues to impact the globe exponentially.”
Matti Sällberg, Head of Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, said:
“The need to find an effective vaccine is urgent and we are working as quickly as possible to find one. With this funding from the EU we will have secured a significant part of the financing going forward, which means that we can focus entirely on the research. It is a relief to know that we are now financed all the way to studies in humans.”