TFF Pharmaceuticals said that the company has entered into an additional Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) and the Geneva Foundation for formulation of an intranasal dry powder recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV) against SARS-CoV-2 using TFF’s thin film freezing technology.
TFF entered into a previous CRADA with USAMRID in April 2020 for development of dry powder vaccines against viruses such as Eastern equine encephalitis, Ebola, and Marburg. In February 2021, TFF announced that it had successfully formulated a monoclonal antibody against Ebolavirus Zaire and an rVSV candidate against Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus.
USAMRIID Branch Chief of Virology Andrew Herbert commented, “The recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV) vaccine platform coupled with TFF’s thin film freezing technology could enable us to develop a single, easily administered and temperature stable countermeasure to protect our warfighters against multiple viral pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2, Ebola, and Marburg. We look forward to continuing our joint exploration into how this novel technology can be used to simplify administration and increase safety and efficacy of biological countermeasures.”
TFF Pharmaceuticals President and CEO Glenn Mattes said, “Current medical countermeasures have become less effective in recent months as new COVID-19 variants have emerged. To slow the emergence of new variants, there is an urgent need for safe, stable, and single-administration vaccines that can be rapidly deployed without the need for cold-chain handling, while maintaining efficacy against variants of concern and other respiratory pathogens.”
Read the TFF Pharmaceuticals press release.
