Bill Gates-backed foundation to fund Israeli COVID vaccine pill development
Oral COVID vaccine developed to work against variants and be adaptable to future viruses
An organization backed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded $4.3 million to an Israeli company to develop a COVID vaccine pill.
Bill Gates – the Microsoft founder-turned-philanthropist – met with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and the two agreed to work together on climate innovation. But now it appears Israel is already reaping the financial rewards of such a partnership in other arenas as well.
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) will give an Israeli company, MigVax, $4.3 million to develop an anti-COVID vaccine tablet that can work against variants and be adaptable to future viruses.
“This is the initial funding, but when we reach the relevant milestones it is likely it will give more support, through to the phase of clinical trials,” David Zigdon, CEO of MigVax, told The Times of Israel.
Gates’ foundation donated $20 million to CEPI last year.
Since the onset of the pandemic, MigVax has been adapting a vaccine for poultry for use against the coronavirus.
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
