$5 Billion Funds Future Vaccine Development

According to the Washington Post, the U.S. administration is launching a $5 billion program to accelerate the development of new coronavirus vaccines and treatments, seeking to better protect against a still-mutating virus and other coronaviruses currently impacting humans, such as Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).

Announced on April 10, 2023, the “Project Next Gen” approach intends to partner with private sector companies to expedite the development of vaccines and therapies.

The Post reported this new effort would focus on creating long-lasting monoclonal antibodies, accelerating the development of vaccines that produce what is known as mucosal immunity, and speeding efforts to develop pan-coronavirus vaccines.

Note: The U.S. FDA has not approved a MERS vaccine as of April 11, 2023, but several vaccine candidates are conducting clinical trials.