Takis and Rottapharm Biotech announce the authorization of the clinical trial by the Italian Drugs Agency (AIFA) of COVID-eVax, the vaccine against COVID-19 designed by Takis and developed in collaboration with Rottapharm Biotech. The Phase I and II clinical trial can now start in February and will provide the first results on safety and immunogenicity about 3 months after the start of the trial.
Unlike other platforms already approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) such as mRNA and Adenoviral vectors, COVID-eVax is based on a DNA fragment injected into the muscle that promotes the production of a specific portion of the "Spike” protein, stimulating a strong immune reaction against the virus. The efficiency of the process is increased by the electroporation technique, which favors the passage of DNA inside the cells in a simple, rapid way and without side effects thanks to light and short electrical stimuli.