Open Orphan PLC (AIM:ORPH, OTC:OPORF) said its subsidiary hVIVO has been commissioned by a US vaccines group to develop the world’s first human challenge model for the omicron Covid variant.
Ultimately, the aim is to conduct a human challenge study next year to assess the efficacy of an inoculation created by Vaxart Inc (NASDAQ:VXRT) that can be administered orally rather than via a jab.
Before that, hVIVO must develop a challenge agent based on the omicron variant that can be safely administered to healthy volunteers.
"hVIVO's fight against the pandemic continues with the development of this new challenge agent,” said Open Orphan chief executive Yamin Khan.
“The benefits to Vaxart are immense, and we have already been contacted by a number of biopharma companies looking to test the efficacy of their products using this challenge virus.”
“I have no doubt that the successful completion of the world's first COVID-19 characterisation, which was published in Nature Medicine earlier this year, has given our customers the confidence to move forward with the less severe yet more infective omicron challenge model."