Inovio Pharma Says Phase 1 Data Shows COVID-19 Vaccine Immunogenic In All Vaccinated Subjects

(RTTNews) - Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc. (INO) said that phase 1 clinical data from the first cohort of 40 participants for its COVID-19 DNA vaccine candidate, INO-4800, showed that INO-4800 was immunogenic in all vaccinated subjects, effectively generating an immune response of humoral, including neutralizing antibodies, and/or cellular responses.

In addition, the data found INO-4800 to have a favorable safety and tolerability profile with no serious adverse events reported.

In Thursday regular trading, INO was trading at $10.39 up $0.32 or 3.16 percent.

According to the company, INO-4800 is stable at room temperature for more than a year, at 37 degree Celsius for more than a month. It has a five-year projected shelf life at normal refrigeration temperature and does not need to be frozen during transport or storage.

INOVIO is currently conducting the Phase 2 segment of its planned Phase 2/3 clinical trial for INO-4800, called INNOVATE. INNOVATE is a randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled safety and efficacy trial of INO-4800 to be conducted in adults in the U.S.

The U.S. Department of Defense has agreed to provide funding for both the Phase 2 and Phase 3 segments of the INNOVATE clinical trial, in addition to the $71 million of funding previously announced in June 2020 for the large-scale manufacture of the company's proprietary smart device CELLECTRA 3PSP and the procurement of CELLECTRA® 2000 devices.

INOVIO also recently announced the first dosing of its first subject in its Phase 2 clinical trial for INO-4800 in China, in collaboration with Advaccine.

The company is currently in Phase 1/2a trials for INO-4800 in South Korea in partnership with The International Vaccine Institute and the Korea National Institute for Health.