GSK’s Adjuvanted COVID-19 Vaccine Enters Human Clinical Trials

A Phase 1 study using GlaxoSmithKline plc.’s (Brentford, UK) pandemic adjuvant in combination with Clover Biopharmaceutical’s (Chengdu, China) COVID-19 vaccine candidate SCB-2019 is currently underway.

GSK’s pandemic adjuvant can reduce the amount of vaccine protein required per dose, which allows more vaccine doses to be produced, contributing to protecting more people. Additionally, an adjuvant can enhance the immune response and has been shown to create a stronger and longer-lasting immunity against infections. GSK plans to manufacture one billion doses of its pandemic vaccine adjuvant system in 2021 to support the development of multiple adjuvanted COVID-19 vaccine candidates. The company has formed several collaborations, including with scientific partners in North America, Europe and China, to develop vaccines.


GSK’s scientific collaboration with Clover to develop an adjuvanted COVID-19 vaccine has now entered into human clinical trials. Clover has initiated a Phase 1 clinical study evaluating the company’s COVID-19 S-Trimer vaccine (SCB-2019) in combination with GSKs pandemic adjuvant system. The study initiation follows promising preclinical results which demonstrated the beneficial effect of GSKs pandemic adjuvant for the SCB-2019 vaccine candidate, with high neutralizing antibody levels elicited in multiple animal species. Preliminary safety and immunogenicity results for the Phase 1 study are expected in August 2020. In parallel, the planning for a global Phase 2b/3 vaccine efficacy trial has begun, with initiation targeted later in 2020.

“Our deliberate approach is to combine our proven pandemic adjuvant technology with protein-based COVID-19 vaccine candidates from several collaborators. We believe this holds the promise to produce vaccines at scale, potentially benefiting billions of people,” said Thomas Breuer, Chief Medical Officer, GSK Vaccines. “We are encouraged by the pre-clinical data of this adjuvanted COVID-19 vaccine candidate from Clover and look forward to reviewing the data from this first trial. If this trial is successful, we hope to be in a position to move into more advanced trials later in the year.”

Related Links:
GlaxoSmithKline plc.
Clover Biopharmaceutical