Preclinical Response to Coronavirus led by York Academic

Professor S.S Vasan, honorary chair in Health Sciences at the University of York, has joined a rapid global response team investigating the coronavirus and potential treatments under an initiative of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).

Funding for critical new research announced by CEPI, followed the declaration from the World Health Organisation (WHO) that the Wuhan novel coronavirus outbreak is a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern”.

Undertaken at the highly secure CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory, this preclinical research will help to determine the characteristics of the current virus (a key step in developing a new vaccine) and to test new potential vaccines being developed by three different CEPI-led consortia.

Prof. Vasan, Principle Investigator of the CSIRO Dangerous Pathogens Team said: “CSIRO and CEPI are working to complete the preclinical evaluation of candidate vaccines in the shortest possible time. In parallel, there is a need to accelerate the development and evaluation of therapeutics to complement vaccines. This is a marathon and we have just started, therefore it is important to relay in a collaborative manner with researchers around the world.”

In addition to the Wuhan novel coronavirus, Prof Vasan and his team are also carrying out vital preclinical studies on other deadly diseases such as Ebola and Nipah.