HHS Announces Initial Project NextGen Vaccine Candidates, $500 Million in Awards
- October 20, 2023
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced October 13 three initial vaccine candidates and more than $500 million in funding to begin planning for Phase 2b clinical trials as part of the administration’s “Project NextGen” aimed at supporting the development of new COVID-19 vaccines and treatments.
The three selected vaccine candidates target “stronger, broader, or longer-lasting immune responses,” the agency said. Two of the candidates are intranasal vaccines while one is a self-amplifying mRNA vaccine. Clinical trials are expected to begin as early as winter 2024.
“The vaccine selections and funding announced today are important steps forward for Project NextGen—with vaccine and therapeutics candidates moving quickly to clinical trials that will start in the coming months,” said Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Dawn O’Connell.
As part of the $500 million, the agency also invested more than $240 million in cold-chain sample management, genomic sequencing, and increased central laboratory capacity for sample testing to support Project NextGen clinical studies. Another $241 million is being devoted to new technologies that will improve national preparedness for future COVID-19 outbreaks and patient access.
Project NextGen is a $5 billion initiative led by the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority in partnership with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.