Inovio says expects FDA decision on COVID vaccine trial this month

Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc on Monday said it expects the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to decide this month whether to allow an advanced trial of the company's experimental COVID-19 vaccine to move forward. The regulatory agency in September placed a hold on the mid- to late-stage trial, citing the need for more information on the device used to inject the vaccine.

Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc on Monday said it expects the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to decide this month whether to allow an advanced trial of the company's experimental COVID-19 vaccine to move forward.

The regulatory agency in September placed a hold on the mid- to late-stage trial, citing the need for more information on the device used to inject the vaccine. Inovio said it provided responses to the FDA's questions in October. Inovio's vaccine, known as INO-4800, was designed using the company's novel DNA medicine platform. It is administered through a device called Cellectra, which sends out an electrical pulse to open pores in a cell so DNA molecules can enter.