US halts funding for 2 new COVID-19 vaccines

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued stop work orders to GeoVax and CastleVax on the companies’ development of new COVID-19 vaccines. Development of these vaccines was partially funded by the Project NextGen initiative of the US Center for the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority. These are the second and third stop work orders issued to vaccine developers that received funding through Project NextGen; the first order went to Vaxart in February. Project NextGen is also funding the development of several other COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics. The three companies issued stop work orders are developing COVID-19 vaccines that use new technology to improve effectiveness and tolerability. Vaxart is developing an oral vaccine pill, CastleVax is working on an intranasal vaccine, and GeoVax is developing a vaccine designed to be effective in immunocompromised people. In February, Vaxart told C&EN via email that the firm was allowed