In exchange for the option, Greenwich has agreed to sponsor research for a total of up to $250,000 plus additional license and assignment fees.

Westport is a company focused on multiantigen vaccine technology. The company's coronavirus vaccine program includes up to seven vaccine candidates that are designed to complement or improve upon the DNA/RNA-based coronavirus vaccines that are in late stage clinical trials or have recently been approved for emergency use.

Westport's previous preclinical vaccine collaboration showed 100% protection against a lethal dose challenge of pneumonic plague in nonhuman primate and rodent animal models. Similar technology was used to develop the coronavirus vaccine program. The platform makes use of multiple antigens that would complement strategies that rely solely on the spike protein as the primary antigen. In combination, the antigens may offer greater protection and longer duration of protection.

"The objective of the coronavirus vaccine program is to leverage the development team's experience in achieving 100% protection against lethal levels of pneumonic plague infection to increase the percent protection and duration of protection of coronavirus vaccines under development," commented Snehal Patel, founder and CEO of Greenwich.