New Delhi, Oct. 12 -- Hyderabad-based biotech startup PopVax has begun human trials of an RNA vaccine candidate for covid-19 designed to remain stable at refrigerator temperatures for at least nine months, potentially easing distribution in countries with limited cold-chain infrastructure.

The company has dosed the first participants in a phase 1 clinical trial of PVX-001, a vaccine candidate designed to protect against a broad range of SARS-CoV-2 variants. PopVax plans to make the vaccine design open-source after the trial, allowing other researchers and manufacturers to build on it for future coronavirus outbreaks.

Developed at PopVax's RNA foundry in Hyderabad, PVX-001 is designed to remain stable at 2-8degC for at least nine months....