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Icosavax — COVID-19 Vaccine Development

Visit Grantee Site
  • Portfolio Area: Science Supporting Biosecurity and Pandemic Preparedness
  • Focus Area: Scientific Research
  • Organization Name: Icosavax
  • Amount: $6,500,000

  • Award Date: August 2020

Table of Contents


    Grant investigators: Chris Somerville and Heather Youngs

    This page was reviewed but not written by the grant investigators. Icosavax staff also reviewed this page prior to publication.


    Open Philanthropy recommended an investment of $6,500,000 in Icosavax to support the development of their virus-like-particle vaccine platform, including a new COVID-19 vaccine. Compared with other vaccines in development, Icosavax’s vaccine may more effectively protect those with weakened immune responses against COVID-19. If the vaccine is found to be effective, our science team believes that the use of of Icosavax’s virus-like-particle technology may be valuable in the development of vaccines for other viral diseases with pandemic potential. Icosavax was founded by Open Philanthropy grantees David Baker and Neil King.

    This falls within our work on scientific research, specifically within our interest in science supporting biosecurity and pandemic preparedness.

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