The composition of the coronavirus nasal spray vaccine developed in Finland has been changed during the summer to better protect common variants of the virus, according to the spray’s designers.
"The aim is to provide the widest possible immunity against a variety of viral variants," Professor of Virology at the University of Helsinki Kalle Saksela, who leads the project, told Svenska Yle.
The nasal spray vaccine is based on research conducted at the University of Helsinki and the University of Eastern Finland and has so far been obtained. "significant" funding of around โฌ 9 million after initial difficulties in attracting investors.
"It [the funding] was important for the progress of the project. This would not have gone as far as just an academic project. "Now companies specializing in clinical trials are helping us," Saksela said.
The updated version provides effective protection against, for example, the Delta version and the newer version of Delta Plus, and can also serve as a booster vaccination for people who have already received some protection against the virus.
The project developers are currently discussing with the European Medicines Agency (EMA) how many people need to be tested during the trial period.
"Negotiations with the authorities will take place during the autumn at the same time as the start of vaccine production. We hope to be able to start testing the vaccine at the turn of the year," Saksela said.
Updated vaccines must be retested in animals to ensure that they work as intended before they can be tested in humans. The results must also be verified by external independent bodies.
Source: The Nordic Page