Plymouth Meeting-based Inovio Pharmaceuticals has been awarded a grant of up to $9 million to rapidly develop a vaccine for the newly identified coronavirus in China, writes Stacey Burling for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Inovio’s approach to the development of vaccines is based on DNA sequencing. This is faster than traditional methods of research that need actual viruses or proteins from viruses.
The new disease emerged last month in Wuhan and has so far made hundreds sick and killed at least 17 people. Several cases of the disease have been recorded outside of China, including one case in the United States.
As a result, the U.S. is now screening passengers arriving from Wuhan for signs of illness at several airports nationwide.
Inovio has received the grant from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. The company said the money will go towards supporting the testing of a vaccine against the new coronavirus through Phase 1 trials.
“Our goal is to be in human testing in less than six months in the United States,” said J. Joseph Kim, Inovio’s president and CEO.
Read more about Inovio Pharmaceuticals at The Philadelphia Inquirer by clicking here.
