Skin patch T-cell Covid vaccine to be trialled in Switzerland
The new vaccine will be administered as a tiny skin patch bristling with micro-needles that release the shot within seconds.
Keystone / Alexandra Wey
A British biotech firm is set to start clinical trials in Switzerland of a skin patch vaccine against Covid-19 that uses T-cells and could offer longer-lasting immunity than existing vaccines.
This content was published on
2 minutes
The Guardian/swissinfo/sb
Español
es
Suiza someterá a prueba vacuna COVID en parche cutáneo
Emergex announcedExternal link on Monday that it had received the green light from the Swiss drugs regulator to carry out initial human trials in Lausanne, starting January 3, 2022.
The company’s easy-to-administer skin patch vaccine primes T-cells – a group of immune cells that can target and destroy virus-infected cells – to remove infected cells from the body quickly after infection, thus preventing viral replication and disease.
Robin Cohen, Emergex’s chief commercial officer, told The GuardianExternal link newspaper: “This is the first time a regulator has approved a Covid vaccine to go into clinical trials whose sole purpose is to generate a targeted T-cell response in the absence of an antibody response and those T-cells look for infected cells and kill them.”
Current Covid-19 vaccines mainly generate an antibody response that wanes over time, which means people need booster shots to maintain protection against the virus. The Emergex vaccine works differently, by killing infected cells quickly. This means it could offer longer-lasting immunity – possibly for decades – and could also be better at fighting virus mutations, said Cohen.
The trial will be conducted by Blaise Genton, a professor at the University of Lausanne’s centre for primary care and public health. He said: “This exciting new scientific approach to developing a vaccine against Sars-CoV-2 addresses the need to generate a T-cell response to elicit long-term immunity.”
In all, 26 people will receive a high and a low dose of its experimental Covid-19 vaccine. Interim results from the trial are expected in June.
More
More
Coronavirus: the situation in Switzerland
This content was published on
An overview of the latest Covid-related information in the Alpine nation.
What can be done to protect biodiversity in your country?
Swiss voters are set to decide on a people’s initiative calling for better protection of ecosystems in the country. Have your say on the September 22 vote.
Golden eagles get better at flying over time, say Swiss researchers
This content was published on
Golden eagles perfect their flight as they age and learn to make better use of air currents, says a new study co-produced by Swiss researchers.
This content was published on
Public libraries in Switzerland recorded 46.3 million admissions last year, 7.4 million more than in 2022, says the Federal Statistical Office.
Swiss conservative party seeks referendum against Eurovision contest
This content was published on
The Swiss Federal Democratic Union is launching a referendum to prevent the Eurovision Song Contest from taking place in Basel next year.
Switzerland nabs 15 medals at WorldSkills championship
This content was published on
Swiss professionals have won 15 medals at the WorldSkills Championships in Lyon, France for the best finish by a European nation.
One dead, 2 children seriously injured after car crashes into Geneva sports centre
This content was published on
An 80-year-old driver crashed into several children aged around ten on Saturday after losing control of her vehicle in Geneva, before succumbing to her injuries.
Swiss Centre Party leader says report on proposed federal budget cuts ‘one-sided’
This content was published on
Gerhard Pfister is criticising discussions launched by the Swiss government on an expert report aimed at making savings in the state budget.
This content was published on
Transplantation not only improves quality of life, but it also saves money, said Swisstransplant, particularly where kidney transplants are concerned.
Train station closures a long-term option, says Swiss Federal Railways boss
This content was published on
Vincent Ducrot has not ruled out the closure of train stations in the long term as mobility changes, he told the NZZ am Sonntag newspaper.
Liberal Green party members criticise handling of Ameti affair
This content was published on
Some Liberal Greens say the party acted too quickly after Zurich politician Sanija Ameti fired shots at an image of Jesus and Mary.
This content was published on
Switzerland has a new supercomputer named "Alps", officially inaugurated on Saturday at the National Supercomputing Centre in Lugano.
While Switzerland struggles to vaccinate, Portugal is already finished
This content was published on
Nowhere are more people vaccinated against Covid-19 than in Portugal, where 98% of over 25-year-olds have had both doses.
Vaccine alternative has limited impact on Covid campaign
This content was published on
The offer of a non-mRNA Covid vaccine in Switzerland has failed to speed up the government’s vaccination campaign, experts say.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.