CyanVac Receives BARDA-Funded Project NextGen Award to Evaluate its Intranasal COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate in a Phase 2b Study

Award will support a 10,000-participant study comparing CyanVac’s PIV5-based intranasal vaccine candidate CVXGA with a commercial COVID-19 vaccine under BARDA’s Clinical Studies Network


Athens, Ga. and San Jose, Calif., June 13, 2024 – CyanVac LLC, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing intranasal vaccines using a transformational parainfluenza virus 5 (PIV5)-based vector, announced today that it received federal Project NextGen funding to support a comparative Phase 2b study of CVXGA, the company’s PIV5-based vaccine candidate designed to protect against COVID-19. 


Project NextGen is an initiative of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to advance new, innovative vaccines and therapeutics providing broader and more durable protection for COVID-19. The award is one of the first made through the Rapid Response Partnership Vehicle, a consortium funded by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) part of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) within HHS, to accelerate product and technology development.


The Phase 2b study of PIV-5-based CVXGA intranasal COVID-19 vaccine will be conducted through BARDA’s clinical studies network. 


"This award will accelerate the development of our PIV5-based intranasal COVID-19 vaccine, building on our very promising Phase 1 and preliminary Phase 2a clinical trial results,” said Biao He, Ph.D., founder and CEO of CyanVac. “PIV5 is a novel intranasal vaccine vector that has been shown to replicate safely in humans in clinical trials and stimulates all three pillars of immunity – cellular, mucosal, and humoral – with minimal uncomfortable side effects. The successful development of an intranasal COVID-19 vaccine using this new vector will demonstrate the capabilities of our PIV5 platform and benefit the development of PIV5-based vaccines for other emerging infectious diseases.”


Under the award, CyanVac will be the sponsor for a 10,000 participant, randomized double-blinded Phase 2b study that will compare the efficacy, safety and immunogenicity of CyanVac’s next-generation intranasal COVID-19 vaccine candidate to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine. The study will be conducted through BARDA's Clinical Studies Network and will evaluate the vaccine in a subset of participants at higher risk of severe disease. The study is expected to start in the fall of 2024 and will evaluate the efficacy of CVXGA in preventing not only severe COVID-19 infections, but also asymptomatic infections. 


"Many vaccines including COVID-19 vaccines are quite effective at preventing serious illness and death, but there is a need for vaccines that can also block transmission of a pathogen to other people,” said Dr. Henry Radziewicz, Chief Medical Officer of CyanVac. “Our intranasal vaccine is delivered to mucosal surfaces, a key focus area for Project NextGen by BARDA because such vaccines have the potential to reduce the spread of disease.”


“We are excited to work with BARDA on this large-scale trial and are grateful for their support,” added Dr. He.


The project is being funded with federal funds from HHS, ASPR, BARDA, under Other Transaction (OT) number 75A50123D00005.


About CVXGA


CVXGA is a clinical-stage COVID-19 vaccine candidate based on a proprietary parainfluenza virus 5 (PIV5) vector that encodes the spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2. The PIV5 vector was developed at the University of Georgia and is based on a respiratory virus that is not known to cause disease in humans which has been commonly administered to dogs as part of combination distemper/kennel cough vaccines for decades. CyanVac and its affiliate, Blue Lake Biotechnology, are developing CVXGA as a single-dose, intranasal vaccine to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection and serious complications associated with COVID-19. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that CVXGA is immunogenic and protective and prevents transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Phase 1 data has shown that subjects dosed with CVXGA showed robust mucosal, cellular and humoral immune responses with limited or no reactogenicity and no serious events assessed as related to the vaccine.


About CyanVac and Blue Lake Biotechnology


CyanVac LLC and its affiliate, Blue Lake Biotechnology, Inc., are developing intranasal vaccines that harness the full breadth of the immune system to keep people healthy, prevent serious infectious diseases, and protect the health of vulnerable populations. Our platform uses a proprietary parainfluenza virus 5 vector into which a foreign gene from a targeted pathogen is inserted. We have generated a robust clinical-stage pipeline of best-in-class vaccines designed to overcome the limitations of existing vaccine technologies. Our lead product candidates have demonstrated potential for high efficacy and durability with few vaccine-related side effects.


CONTACTS:

Carolyn Hawley

Inizio Evoke Comms

carolyn.hawley@inizioevoke.com 

619-849-5382


Samuel Wu, Chief Business Officer 

CyanVac LLC and Blue Lake Biotechnology, Inc.

swu@cyanvacllc.com 

650-609-2231


Source: https://www.bluelakebiotechnology.com/news/cyanvac-receives-barda-award-for-covid-ph2b-study

BIO Statement on the Section 232 Pharmaceutical Proclamation

April 4, 2026
April 2, 2026- WASHINGTON, D.C. – John F. Crowley, President and CEO of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) , released the following statement on Section 232 Pharmaceutical Proclamation. “A thriving American biotechnology ecosystem is essential to growing the U.S. economy, strengthening national security, and improving the health and well‑being of everyday Americans. While we appreciate the Administration’s recognition of the need for tariff exemptions for certain critical biotech products, the reality is that any tariffs on America’s medicines will raise costs, impede domestic manufacturing, and delay the development of new treatments - all while doing nothing to enhance our national security. “U.S. biotech companies have been eager to expand investments here at home, but tariffs, along with an uncertain policy environment and efforts to force “most‑favored nation” schemes, work directly against that goal. The risks are especially acute for small and mid‑size biotech companies, which develop more than half of all FDA‑approved medicines yet often lack the capital to build dedicated manufacturing facilities as they weather an industry defined by high costs, long development timelines, and significant risk. “The fact is: tariffs divert scarce resources away from research and development, weaken American biotech against China’s rising industry, and ultimately, harm health and economic wellbeing of Americans. “We stand ready to work with the Administration on a long‑term strategy that encourages biotechnology investment, reduces the time, cost, and uncertainty of developing new medicines, expands U.S. biomanufacturing capacity, and ensures American innovation is fairly valued overseas. Tariffs and MFN are not the answer." Source - https://www.bio.org/press-release/bio-statement-section-232-pharmaceutical-proclamation

Georgia Life Sciences Announces 2026 Georgia BioGENEius Challenge Winner

April 1, 2026
Atlanta, GA (April 1, 2026) – Georgia Life Sciences (GLS) is proud to announce that Saisurya Lakkimsetti, a junior at Lakeside High School in Columbia County, has been named the winner of the 2026 Georgia BioGENEius Challenge. The Georgia BioGENEius Challenge took place, as part of the statewide Georgia Science and Engineering Fair (GSEF) at the Classic Center in Athens, Georgia. Forty-seven students from across Georgia competed for this year’s title and cash prize. Jaehyeon Lee, an 11th-grade student from Walton High School, was named runner-up in this year’s competition. The Georgia BioGENEius Challenge recognizes outstanding high school students who are conducting innovative biotechnology research with real-world applications. This year’s top projects, presented in the Global Healthcare Challenge track, demonstrated exceptional scientific rigor and forward-thinking potential in addressing critical healthcare challenges. Saisurya’s research focuses on identifying potential inhibitors for Endocan, a protein known to play a role in glioblastoma tumor growth. Using advanced computational modeling techniques—including AlphaFold and molecular docking tools—she screened thousands of small molecules to identify compounds that may block tumor-promoting signaling pathways. Her work identified several promising candidates that could serve as a foundation for future drug development targeting glioblastoma. Jaehyeon’s project investigates how varying glucose concentrations affect regeneration in planaria, modeling impaired wound healing in diabetic conditions. By testing graded glucose environments and measuring regeneration indicators such as growth and differentiation, Jaehyeon demonstrated that lower glucose levels enhance regeneration while higher levels inhibit healing. The study establishes a model to better understand hyperglycemia’s impact on diabetic wound healing. “The work by these students is a powerful example of the innovation and determination we see in Georgia’s next generation of life sciences leaders,” said Maria Thacker Goethe, President and CEO of Georgia Life Sciences. “The BioGENEius Challenge is critical because it provides students with a platform to apply cutting-edge science to real-world problems, while also strengthening the future workforce that will drive breakthroughs in healthcare, biotechnology, and beyond.” The Georgia BioGENEius Challenge is part of Georgia Life Sciences’ broader commitment to advancing workforce development and fostering innovation across the state’s rapidly growing life sciences ecosystem. Judging the 2026 Georgia BioGENEius Challenge: Ian Biggs; Ralph Cordell, CDC; Alex Harvey, ViaMune; Jamie Graham, Smith Gambrell Russell; and Evan Scullin, LuminiSci.

Georgia Life Science's Feature in Very First Atlanta Edition of Inside Medicine

March 24, 2026
Georgia Life Sciences is thrilled to be featured in the very first Atlanta edition of Inside Medicine . This inaugural issue represents something truly special. Atlanta’s healthcare and life sciences community is driven by innovation, collaboration, and outstanding leadership—and we’re honored to be part of this exciting launch. Also in the issue, GLS's Kennedy Dumas is featured, sharing her journey on how observation and research evolved into a powerful practice of journaling. As the founder of Stationery Black, she creates notebooks designed to showcase, uplift, and inspire people of color. Read the full article here.
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