Covaxx

Covaxx was a U.S. biotechnology company established in 2020 as a subsidiary of United Biomedical Inc. (UBI) with the specific mission to develop a vaccine for the COVID-19 pandemic. The company was co-founded by Mei Mei Hu, Lou Reese, and Peter Diamandis. Mei Mei Hu, who served as CEO, is the daughter of UBI's founder, Dr. Chang Yi Wang, and initially pursued a career in law and management consulting before pivoting to the biotech industry.

Covaxx's primary focus was the development and commercialization of its vaccine candidate, UB-612. This vaccine was a multitope, synthetic peptide-based vaccine designed to activate both B-cell and T-cell arms of the immune system to fight SARS-CoV-2. The platform technology aimed to create a vaccine that could be manufactured at scale, distributed using normal refrigeration, and adapted to new viral variants. The UB-612 vaccine was composed of the SARS-CoV-2 S1-RBD protein and synthetic peptides from the nucleocapsid, spike, and membrane proteins, making it different from vaccines that only targeted the spike protein. Preclinical and early-phase clinical trials showed that UB-612 was generally well-tolerated and generated high titers of neutralizing antibodies.

In April 2021, Covaxx and its affiliate, United Neuroscience (which focused on vaccines for neurological disorders), consolidated their efforts under a new holding company, Vaxxinity, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas. Covaxx and United Neuroscience became wholly-owned subsidiaries of Vaxxinity, with Mei Mei Hu and Lou Reese taking the roles of CEO and Executive Chairman, respectively. The merger aimed to leverage their shared synthetic peptide technology platform to advance vaccines for both infectious and chronic diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Following the merger, Vaxxinity continued the development of UB-612, initiating global Phase 2/3 trials and seeking regulatory approval for its use as a booster vaccine.

Keywords: COVID-19 vaccine, synthetic peptide vaccine, UB-612, multitope vaccine, Vaxxinity, United Biomedical Inc., infectious disease, vaccine development, clinical trials, T-cell response, B-cell response, neutralizing antibodies, democratize health, SARS-CoV-2, Mei Mei Hu, Lou Reese, Peter Diamandis