Gritstone Jumps Into COVID-19 Vaccine Race, Eyeing Mutant Strains

Potentially Resistant Strains Raise Worries

The company is developing a vaccine with both adenoviral and mRNA technology that could potentially overcome resistance mutations on the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.

COVID-19 vaccine
Gritstone is developing a vaccine designed to potentially overcome mutant strains of coronavirus. • Source: Shutterstock

As efforts are underway to vaccinate people against SARS-CoV-2, concerns have arisen about new strains of the virus that display greater infectivity than the original and possibly even resistance to existing vaccines. With that in mind, Gritstone Oncology, Inc. is looking to develop a vaccine that it hopes may protect against the mutant strains.

The Emeryville, California-based company said 19 January that it planned to initiate a Phase I study of its vaccine candidate...

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