16 September 2021 - - US-based development-stage company Oragenics, Inc. (NYSE American: OGEN) has initiated a study to evaluate the immunogenicity and viral load reduction impact of its SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate in a hamster challenge study, the company said.

The study will provide data for several vaccine formulations, using adjuvants specific for both intranasal and intramuscular routes of administration.

An assessment of cross-neutralization titers against the Wuhan, Beta and Delta variants of COVID-19 and reduction in the viral load of the Wuhan challenge virus will be used to establish the most promising formulations to advance to human clinical studies.

The study is being conducted by the company's Canadian collaborator with results expected in November.

Oragenics, Inc. is a development-stage company dedicated to fighting infectious diseases including coronaviruses and multidrug-resistant organisms.

Its lead product is Terra CoV-2, a vaccine candidate to prevent COVID-19 and variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

The Terra CoV-2 program leverages coronavirus spike protein research licensed from the NIH and the NRC with a focus on addressing supply-chain challenges, and offering more patient-friendly administration, such as intranasal.

Its lantibiotics program features a novel class of antibiotics against bacteria that have developed resistance to commercial antibiotics.