Oragenics Highlights Encouraging Toxicology Data From Intranasal COVID Vaccine Candidate

Oragenics Inc OGEN announced preliminary results from its ongoing Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) toxicology study to evaluate the safety profile and immunogenicity of its NT-CoV2-1 vaccine candidate in rabbits.
These initial results demonstrate a safety profile and immune responses that the company believes will support regulatory filings required to progress to a Phase 1 clinical study.
The final toxicology report, including ongoing histopathology evaluation, is expected by year-end.
"We believe our intranasal vaccine candidate will potentially reduce transmission and offer a needle-free COVID-19 vaccine option," said Kimberly Murphy, President & CEO.
The objectives of this ongoing toxicology study are to evaluate the potential toxicity of NT-CoV2-1 following repeated intranasal administration at the maximal dose anticipated to be used in humans and to confirm the immunogenicity of the vaccine.
In both mice and hamsters, the antibodies had strong neutralizing activity, preventing the cellular binding of the viral spike protein based on the ancestral reference strain and variants of concern.
The company plans to initiate Phase 1 clinical study by early 2023.
Price Action: OGEN shares are up 25.3% at $0.17 on the last check Thursday.