This archive report was first published on 15 July 2020.
July 15, 2020, marked a significant milestone in the fight against COVID-19 as Kansas State University signed a pre-clinical research and option agreement with Tonix Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company.
Waithaka Mwangi, a professor of diagnostic pathobiology in the K-State College of Veterinary Medicine, will lead the study, which aims to develop a vaccine for COVID-19 prevention.
The research is based on a new vaccine platform that Mwangi's team developed for the bovine parainfluenza 3 virus (BPI3V). According to Mwangi, a weakened BPI3V has been shown to be an effective vaccine vehicle in humans.
“More importantly, following extensive testing, BPI3V was shown to be safe and stable in infants and children,” Mwangi said.
The team is concentrating on the spike protein, which they say is the most critical protein of coronaviruses. The research will be carried out at the K-State’s Biosecurity Research Institute in Pat Roberts Hall, a biosafety level-3 facility.
