Entos awarded up to $5M in NRC IRAP funding to trial COVID-19 DNA vaccine

Edmonton-based Entos Pharmaceuticals, a healthcare biotechnology company developing nucleic acid medicines with its proprietary Fusogenix drug delivery platform, is receiving advisory services and funding of up to $5 million from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) as part of the Government of Canada’s continuing support for the development of domestic COVID-19 vaccine candidates.

Entos developed a Fusogenix DNA vaccine called Covigenix, that in preclinical studies, induces a strong neutralizing antibody response plus a potent and balanced T cell response against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. NRC IRAP’s support will help progress Entos’ COVID-19 DNA vaccine research to phase 1 human clinical trial to assess its safety at the Clinical Trials Research Center at the Canadian Centre for Vaccinology (CCfV) in Nova Scotia.

“Entos is honoured to be one of the innovative Canadian companies receiving NRC IRAP support,” said John Lewis, CEO, Entos Pharmaceuticals.

“We are excited to use this funding to advance the phase 1 human clinical trial of Covigenix at the Canadian Centre for Vaccinology.”