Sanofi, GSK initiate Phase 1/2 clinical trial of COVID-19 vaccine candidate

Sanofi and GSK have started Phase 1/2 clinical trial for their adjuvanted COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine candidate, developed in partnership by Sanofi and GSK, uses the same recombinant protein-based technology as one of Sanofi’s seasonal influenza vaccines with GSK’s pandemic adjuvant technology.

The Phase 1/2 clinical trial is a randomised, double blind and placebo-controlled trial designed to evaluate the safety, reactogenicity (tolerability) and immunogenicity (immune response) of the COVID-19 vaccine candidate. A total of 440 healthy adults are being enrolled in the trial across 11 investigational sites in the US.

The companies anticipate first results in early December 2020, to support the initiation of a Phase 3 trial in December 2020.  If these data are sufficient for licensure application, it is planned to request regulatory approval in the first half of 2021. 

Sanofi is leading the clinical development and registration of the COVID-19 vaccine. Pre-clinical data showed an acceptable reactogenicity profile and data based on two injections of the adjuvanted recombinant vaccine showed high levels of neutralising antibodies that are comparable to levels in humans who recovered from the COVID-19 infection. Pre-clinical results will be published later this year. In parallel, Sanofi and GSK are scaling up manufacturing of the antigen and adjuvant with the target of producing up to one billion doses in 2021.

Thomas Triomphe, Executive Vice President and Global Head of Sanofi Pasteur, said, “Our dedicated teams and partner continue to work around the clock as we aim to deliver the first results in early December. Positive data will enable a prompt start of the pivotal phase 3 trial by the end of this year.”

Roger Connor, President of GSK Vaccines said, “We look forward to the data from the study, and if positive, beginning a Phase 3 trial by the end of the year.”

The development of the adjuvanted COVID-19 vaccine candidate is being supported through funding and a collaboration with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, part of the office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the US Department of Health and Human Services.

In July 2020, Sanofi and GSK announced a collaborative effort with the US government to supply up to 100 million doses of their COVID-19 recombinant protein-based vaccine to meet the US government’s Operation Warp Speed goal of making hundreds of millions of doses of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States as quickly as possible. The US government has a further option to discuss the purchase of up to 500 million doses longer term. Both companies also agreed (subject to final contract) with the UK government to supply up to 60 million doses of recombinant protein-based COVID-19 vaccine.

The partners plan to supply a significant portion of the total worldwide available supply in 2021/2022 to COVAX, the vaccines pillar of the ACT-Accelerator (Access to COVID‐19 Tools), a global collaboration of leaders of governments, global health organisations, businesses and philanthropies to accelerate development, production, and equitable access to COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines.