Vaxart announced it will commence a new study of Vaxart’s oral pill norovirus vaccine candidate focused on protecting breastfeeding mothers and their infants. The study will receive significant funding and support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This funding follows Vaxart’s previous collaboration with Duke University on a pre-clinical COVID-19 transmission study also funded by the Gates Foundation. The study will examine whether Vaxart’s vaccine candidate induces antibodies in the breast milk of lactating mothers and whether infants up to 6 months of age can acquire those antibodies. Vaxart believes there are potential advantages to this approach. "By triggering mucosal immunity in addition to protecting those vaccinated, our vaccines may also reduce transmission – the key mechanism by which viral infections spread, further increasing their overall effect on the broader population. This study investigates inducing mucosal immunity at an important site that ultimately might result in positively impacting transmission," said Andrei Floroiu, Vaxart’s Chief Executive Officer. "We are pleased with the funding and support from the Gates Foundation, which will help realize the potential impact of our vaccine technology on global public health."
Published first on TheFly
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