BFF-33, 34, 35 Behind in vaccine race, CureVac bets on ‘easier’ jab

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HEALTH-VIRUS-VACCINE INTERVIEW

Behind in vaccine race, CureVac bets on ‘easier’ jab

FRANKFURT AM MAIN, Dec 16, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – CureVac CEO Franz-Werner
Haas readily admits his German biotech firm is “a bit behind” in the
Covid-19 vaccine race, despite using the same cutting-edge technology
as rivals Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech.

But with a jab that is easier to store and mass produce, Haas is
confident CureVac has found a winning formula — and that more medical
breakthroughs are just around the corner.

“There is definitely a race, but a race against the virus, against
time,” Haas, 50, told AFP, downplaying the competition between vaccine
makers.

CureVac took a major leap forward on Monday when it announced the
start of final phase three trials for its Covid-19 vaccine candidate,
involving more than 35,000 volunteers in Europe and Latin America.

Early results are expected in the first quarter of next year, Haas
said, speaking via Zoom from CureVac’s headquarters in the
southwestern city of Tuebingen.

By contrast, the shot developed by Germany’s BioNTech with US giant
Pfizer is this month already being injected into arms in Britain, the
United States and Canada.

American firm Moderna is closely behind and on the cusp of a US rollout.

Both vaccines are based on experimental technology that uses
synthetic versions of molecules called messenger RNA (mRNA) to deliver
instructions to the body’s cells to create a protein from the virus.

This trains the immune system to be ready to attack if it encounters
SARS-CoV-2.

– ‘Bold’ –

“We are a bit behind,” Haas said, which had its “pros and cons”.

A key difference with CureVac’s vaccine is that it uses natural,
non-modified mRNA to trigger an immune response “as close to nature as
possible”, Haas said.

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HEALTH-VIRUS-VACCINE INTERVIEW-TWO

This has led to a vaccine candidate that can stay stable for at
least three months at normal fridge temperatures.

BioNTech’s jab needs to be kept at -70 degrees Celsius (-94 degrees
Fahrenheit), requiring super-cold freezers, and Moderna’s at -20
degrees Celsius.

CureVac’s product also requires a far lower dosage of just 12
micrograms, compared to 30 micrograms for BioNTech and 100 for
Moderna, allowing for faster mass manufacturing.

Haas said it was “fantastic” the two frontrunners had already shown
their vaccines to be safe and around 95 percent effective.

“We are quite bold and say: this is also what we can achieve,” he added.

The company’s biggest order to date has come from the European
Union, for up to 405 million doses.

The US has not placed one, which Haas said was because Washington
already has contracts with a range of other vaccine hopefuls so “there
was not really a demand”.

But he sees the US as “a very interesting market, post-pandemic”.

CureVac’s jab may end up having an edge in poorer or warmer
countries. But even in Western countries, Haas said “it’s easier” if
you can store the vaccine in a standard fridge in nursing homes or
doctor’s offices.

He stressed nevertheless that several vaccines of different kinds
will be needed to “unpause the world” and end a pandemic that has
killed more than 1.6 million people since it first emerged in China
late last year.

– Trump controversy –

Set up in 2000, CureVac prides itself on being the first company to
work on mRNA, led by founder Ingmar Hoerr, a pioneer in the field.

Early on, Hoerr attracted the attention of billionaire Dietmar Hopp,
co-founder of software behemoth SAP, who has since invested millions
of euros and became a controlling shareholder in CureVac.

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Given that CureVac has yet to bring a product to market, Haas said
Hopp’s 15-year-long backing was “quite something”.

CureVac made international headlines in March when rumours surfaced
that President Donald Trump wanted exclusive US access to any CureVac
coronavirus vaccine, a claim both sides denied.

But the ensuing furore prompted Economy Minister Peter Altmaier to
declare that “Germany is not for sale”.

Haas said the Trump controversy was “not the nicest time”, recalling
demonstrators outside CureVac’s buildings urging the company not to
sell out.

In June, the German government paid 300 million euros ($366 million)
for a 23-percent stake in CureVac, followed by a 252-million-euro
grant for coronavirus research.

– ‘Personalised medicine’ –

The Covid-19 vaccine breakthroughs have finally pushed mRNA
technology into a “sweet spot”, Haas said, with proof of concept and
increased funding opening the door to a slew of other medical
advances.

“What is built up now as (mRNA manufacturing) capacity, is here to
stay,” Haas said.

CureVac is working on a malaria vaccine with the Gates Foundation,
and earlier this year received some “very nice” data on a potential
rabies shot.

Haas said mRNA also held huge promise for oncology and could lead to
tailored cancer treatments.

With Elon Musk’s Tesla, CureVac is developing a “mobile
manufacturing unit”, akin to a mini RNA factory, that can be shipped
anywhere and produce thousands of vaccines in mere days, potentially
stopping an outbreak in its tracks.

Haas also sees a future where patients can pop to the pharmacy to
pick up “personalised medicine”, such as a vaccine to fight their
specific tumour and manufactured on site.

“That’s the vision,” he said. “We have just started.”

BSS/AFP/MRU/2340hrs