SOUTHAMPTON AND CAMBRIDGE — The University of Cambridge and DIOSynVax Ltd developed a universal Sarbeco coronavirus vaccine and completed a first-in-human clinical trial. The trial involved 39 healthy volunteers between 18 and 50 years of age.

The trial, conducted at NIHR Clinical Research Facilities in Southampton and Cambridge, showed the vaccine was safe and did not produce serious side effects. University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust served as the study sponsor. This trial was the first human test of a vaccine with an active component designed entirely using computer simulations.

The vaccine utilizes an artificial intelligence-designed super-antigen to trigger an immune response. The vaccine generated immune responses targeting SARS-CoV-2, SARS, and related bat coronaviruses. Researchers designed the antigen through machine learning applied to global surveillance data on Sarbeco coronavirus genetic sequences. The vaccine was administered as a DNA vaccine delivered by a needle-free microfluid jet system.

Innovate UK provided the primary funding for the research. DIOSynVax is a Cambridge spin-out company established in 2017. The trial results were published in the Journal of Infection.

Jonathan Heeney, Professor of Comparative Pathology at Cambridge, said, "We've converted vaccine development from being reactive to being future proof. Our vaccines will continue to provide protection against viruses even as they mutate into new strains." He added, "We've overcome the problem of traditional vaccines, which have limited protection. It means we can escape the constant cycle of chasing the virus variants circulating in humans and updating the vaccines to try to catch up."

Saul Faust, Trial Chief Investigator at the University of Southampton, said, "This new class of universal vaccines are future-proofed. They not only protect against many variants simultaneously, but potentially against related viruses that haven't yet emerged and spilt over to humans." He added, "If we can develop and clinically advance this new class of vaccines before a virus outbreak begins, millions of lives could be saved, lockdowns avoided and the economy preserved." A Phase 2 clinical trial is planned to evaluate the vaccine's immune responses across a wider and more diverse population.

No independent assessment was available for this report.