The underdog coronavirus vaccines that the world will need if front runners stumble

The underdog coronavirus vaccines that the world will need if front runners stumble



There are more than 175 COVID-19 vaccines in development, but only a handful are in final-stage clinical trials. (Joe Raedle/Getty)

The underdog coronavirus vaccines

You might have heard about the front-running vaccines from organizations including Moderna, CanSino and the University of Oxford (although trials for the latter are on hold). But with more than 300 vaccines at some stage of development, some very promising candidates are struggling to get attention and funding. Many have notable advantages: tried-and-tested manufacturing techniques, for example, or an easy and promisingly effective dose through the nose. The world will need these alternatives should early favourites fail for safety, efficacy or practicality reasons. “Everyone is rooting for them to succeed beyond anyone’s expectation, but it’s prudent to think about what happens if they don’t,” says virologist Dave O’Connor. “We need to make sure we have back-up plans — and back-up plans to those back-up plans.”

Nature | 7 min read