Rapid Deployment Vaccine Collaborative

The Rapid Deployment Vaccine Collaborative (RaDVaC), is a non-profit, collaborative, open-source vaccine research organization founded in March 2020 by Preston Estep and colleagues from various fields of expertise, motivated to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic through rapid, adaptable, transparent, and accessible vaccine development.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] The members of RaDVaC contend that even the accelerated vaccine approvals, such as the FDA's Emergency Use Authorization, does not make vaccines available quickly enough.[10] The core group has published a series of white papers online,[11] detailing both the technical principles of and protocols for their research vaccine formulas, as well as dedicated materials[12] and protocols[13] pages. All of the organization's published work has been released under Creative Commons non-commercial licenses, including those contributing to the Open COVID Pledge.[14] Multiple individuals involved with the project have engaged in self-experimentation to assess vaccine safety and efficacy. As of September 2020, the organization has developed and published nine iterations of experimental intranasal, multivalent, multi-epitope peptide vaccine formulas, and according to the RaDVaC website over 100 individuals have self-administered one or more doses of the vaccines described by the group.

Rapid Deployment Vaccine Collaborative
AbbreviationRaDVaC
FormationMarch 2020
Type501(c)(3) organization
PurposeTo design, produce, test, and share open-source vaccine research in an effort to accelerate and strengthen COVID-19 vaccine development
Key people
Preston Estep, Alexander Hoekstra, Don Wang, Ranjan Ahuja, Brian M. Delaney, George Church
Websiteradvac.org

History

In March 2020, Preston Estep sent an email to several associates in an effort to determine whether any open-source vaccine projects were underway. Finding none, he and several colleagues formed RaDVaC in the following days, and began constructing the first generation of the RaDVaC research vaccine formula.

Self-experimentation

Several of RaDVaC's core members and numerous others have engaged in self-experimentation to assess both the safety and efficacy of the vaccine formulations. Dr. Estep self-administered the first dose on March 30, 2020. As of September 2020, the group claims that over 30 individuals have self-administered one or more doses of one or more generations of the RaDVaC experimental vaccine.[15]

Iterative vaccine research and development

RaDVaC considers responsive iteration a key asset in developing vaccines against an emerging disease such as COVID-19. In contrast to commercial vaccine R&D infrastructure, RaDVaC's core group adapted their vaccine designs in response to emerging research on the pathology and immunology of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19.

Early generations (gen. 1-6)

Included primarily B cell epitopes, both emergent from computational predictions as well as early research in SARS-CoV-2 antibody mapping.

Generation 7

First inclusion of empirical T cell response data.

Generation 8

Better characterization of T cell response.

Generation 9

Latest and most robust characterization of T cell response, especially CD8 (cytotoxic T cell).

References
  1. "'Warp speed' is too slow for scientists testing COVID-19 vaccine on themselves". Retrieved 2020-12-16.
  2. "US scientists taking home-made Covid vaccines". 16 December 2020. Retrieved 2020-12-27.
  3. "Some scientists taking 'DIY inoculations' instead of waiting for COVID-19 vaccine". 26 September 2020. Retrieved 2020-12-27.
  4. "Do-It-Yourself Vaccines for COVID-19". Retrieved 2020-12-27.
  5. "Opinion: Even in a pandemic, how comfortable would you feel about open-source vaccine?". 9 August 2020. Retrieved 2020-12-27.
  6. "Scientists Have Built A Mix-It-Yourself Vaccine And Taken It Themselves Without FDA Approval". Retrieved 2020-12-27.
  7. "Researchers Testing Do-It-Yourself COVID-19 Vaccine on Themselves". 4 August 2020. Retrieved 2020-12-27.
  8. "Scientists Just Released a DIY Coronavirus Vaccine Under a Creative Commons License". Retrieved 2020-12-27.
  9. "Some scientists are taking a DIY coronavirus vaccine, and nobody knows if it's legal or if it works". Retrieved 2020-12-27.
  10. "US scientists taking home-made Covid vaccines". 16 December 2020. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
  11. "White paper – RaDVaC". Retrieved 2020-09-29.
  12. "Materials and equipment – RaDVaC". Retrieved 2020-09-29.
  13. "Protocols for making and taking the vaccine – RaDVaC". Retrieved 2020-09-29.
  14. "Partners". Open Covid Pledge. Retrieved 2020-09-29.
  15. Murphy, Heather (2020-09-08). "These Scientists Are Giving Themselves D.I.Y. Coronavirus Vaccines". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-09-29.
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