A ‘UNIVERSAL’ Sarbeco coronavirus vaccine has been developed with novel technology that uses an AI-designed ‘super-antigen’ to provide lasting protection against a broad range of viruses, even as they mutate.
The vaccine, pEVAC-PS, was safe, well-tolerated, and showed no significant side effects at first clinical trial at two National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) facilities in the UK: the NIHR Southampton Clinical Research Facility and the NIHR Cambridge Clinical Research Facility.
The trial marks the first time that a vaccine whose active component was designed entirely by computer simulations has been tested in humans, the research team at the University of Cambridge reported.
It was developed by the University of Cambridge and spin-out company DIOSynVax.
The Clinical Trial
The trial tested the efficacy of the vaccine in providing protection against multiple Sarbeco coronaviruses for 39 healthy volunteers, from December 2021 to September 2023.
Sarbeco coronaviruses are the large group of viruses that occur in nature, including SARS-CoV-2 which caused the COVID-19 pandemic.
The vaccine was well tolerated across four doses: 0.2 mg, 0.4 mg, 0.8 mg, and 1.2 mg.
It triggered immune responses in the volunteers not only to SARS-CoV-2 and SARS, but to related bat viruses that can be transmitted from animals to humans.
Chief investigator of the trial Saul Faust, Director, NIHR Southampton Clinical Research Facility, Southampton, UK, said: “Viruses like Influenza, Coronaviruses and the Ebola group are evolving continuously and by the time vaccines are rolled out, they may be poorly matched – the current ‘reactive’ vaccine system struggles to keep pace.
“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.
“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.”
Next Steps
The super antigen is compatible with most vaccine delivery systems, the NIHR has reported.
The vaccine is also administered with a microfluidic jet, offering an alternative for those with a fear of needle-based injections.
This, NIHR said, makes vaccination faster and easier to carry out in large numbers of people.
Further development of the vaccine is required before it is ready for public use.
A larger Phase II trial will next assess the vaccine’s ability to induce immune responses in a wider and more diverse population.
Reference
Munro A PS et al. A phase I, needle free, dose escalation clinical trial of pEVAC-PS, a candidate pan-Sarbecovirus Vaccine. J Infect. 2026;DOI:10.1016/j.jinf.2026.106759.
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