Coronavirus: Chinese firm Zerun Bio to get funding boost for vaccine to protect against all variants

Chinese vaccine developer Shanghai Zerun Biotechnology and its parent company Walvax will receive extra funding to advance the early stage clinical trials of a Covid-19 shot against all variants of concern, including Omicron.

The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations – a global foundation that funds vaccine development – made the announcement on Tuesday. CEPI said it would invest US$8.15 million to support phase 1 and 2 trials of the new vaccine to protect against multiple Covid-19 variants being developed by Zerun Bio in Mali, as well as to support a vaccine against the original coronavirus strain.