U.S. Government program to develop the next generation of Covid vaccines makes $433 million research grant

U.S. government’s next-gen Covid effort gives small biotech up to $433 million The U.S. government said it would give a small biotechnology firm, Gritstone bio, up to $433 million to conduct a 10,000-volunteer clinical trial testing a new approach to creating a Covid vaccine. Matthew Herper STAT

The U.S. government’s “Project Nextgen,” its effort to accelerate and streamline the rapid development of the next generation of Covid vaccines and treatments, said Wednesday that it would give a small biotechnology firm, Gritstone bio, up to $433 million to conduct a 10,000-volunteer clinical trial testing a new approach to creating a vaccine.

The deal highlights the possibility of developing a new approach to Covid shots. But the huge amount of money and large number of study subjects involved also show the challenges inherent in improving on the vaccines already manufactured by Moderna as well as by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech.

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