UK biotech company ConserV Bioscience will collaborate on the development of a broad-spectrum coronavirus vaccine with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL).

The vaccine has been designed to enable broad-spectrum protection against coronavirus pathogens originating from humans and animals, including MERS, SARS and SARS-CoV-2.

The vaccine candidate consists of conserved immunoreactive regions from external and internal coronavirus proteins encoded in messenger RNA (mRNA).

LLNL will use its proprietary nanolipoprotein particle (NLP) technology to formulate the mRNA constructs prior to injections.

This will allow for the freeze drying of both components of the vaccine separately, with the aim of improving storage and transport conditions compared to other mRNA vaccine products.

“We are pleased to be working with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to develop our broad-spectrum coronavirus vaccine candidate,” said Kimbell Duncan, chief executive officer of ConserV Bioscience.

“We have identified regions within the proteins of the virus that are not susceptible to change and, if effective, the vaccine promises to protect against a broad spectrum of current circulating coronavirus strains and future emergent ones,” he added.

The formulation of the broad-spectrum coronavirus vaccine was funded by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) through a Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) programme managed by Innovate UK.