Viotechnology company Vaxart Inc (NASDAQ:VXRT) revealed on Thursday that its investigational oral tablet vaccine reduced the airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 virus in an animal model based on a Duke University-led study and published in bioRxiv.

The company said that its oral tablet vaccine is better at reducing shedding than the injectable flu vaccine comparator, consistent with its Phase II human flu challenge study as well as induces robust systemic and mucosal responses in the preclinical study.

This study used hamster infection and aerosol transmission system to study the potential impact of oral vaccination on transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Animals received oral, intranasal or intramuscular vaccines targeting S protein and a control group received a mock vaccination. The mucosally vaccinated hamsters infected fewer hamsters and created less severe clinical symptoms than did unvaccinated hamsters. The study suggests mucosal vaccines may protect not only vaccinated, but unvaccinated animals, said the company.

Following intranasal delivery of SARS-CoV-2 and detection of substantial amounts of viral RNA in nasal swabs, the vaccinated hamsters had decreased viral RNA and infectious virus in the nose and lungs and experienced less lung pathology and lost less weight versus the mock-vaccinated hamsters post challenge.

In conjunction, the company has initiated recruiting for a global Phase II clinical trial of its oral tablet COVID-19 vaccine candidate, which targets the SARS-CoV-2 viral spike (S) protein.