US launches next-generation universal vaccine platform for pandemic-prone viruses

The platform is based on a beta-propiolactone (BPL)-inactivated, whole-virus approach - a modernised take on traditional vaccine technology, according to the NIH on Thursday.

Los Angeles: The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the National Institutes for Health (NIH) have announced the launch of Generation Gold Standard, a next-generation universal vaccine platform designed to combat pandemic-prone viruses.

The platform is based on a beta-propiolactone (BPL)-inactivated, whole-virus approach – a modernised take on traditional vaccine technology, according to the NIH on Thursday.

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This initiative represents a decisive shift toward transparency, effectiveness, and comprehensive preparedness, funding the NIH’s in-house development of universal influenza and coronavirus vaccines, including candidates BPL-1357 and BPL-24910, said the NIH in a statement.

These vaccines aim to provide broad-spectrum protection against multiple strains of pandemic-prone viruses such as H5N1 avian influenza and coronaviruses including SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV-1, and MERS-CoV, according to the NIH.

“Our commitment is clear: every innovation in vaccine development must be grounded in gold standard science and transparency, and subjected to the highest standards of safety and efficacy testing,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

The program realigns Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority’s (BARDA) operations with its statutory mission under the Public Health Service Act — to prepare for all influenza viral threats, not just those currently circulating, Xinhua news agency reported.

The move comes amid mass cuts at the agency, such as terminated NIH research grants and a workforce reduction designed to impact nearly 20,000 HHS staffers.

A document leaked last month revealed unofficial plans from President Donald Trump’s administration to slash the NIH’s budget by about 40 per cent, from $47 billion to $27 billion.

The new project’s funds will come from the BARDA, an HHS centre designed to finance medical countermeasures against public health threats.

The initiative seeks to replace the Biden’s administration’s Project NextGen, a $5 billion effort to accelerate next-gen Covid-19 countermeasures to address waning immunity and resistance.

In a statement, the HHS spokesperson said the Biden-era program was “wasteful” and “neglecting broader pandemic preparedness”.

“Generation Gold Standard is a paradigm shift,” said NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya.

“It extends vaccine protection beyond strain-specific limits and prepares for flu viral threats — not just today’s, but tomorrow’s as well — using traditional vaccine technology brought into the 21st century.”

Clinical trials for universal influenza vaccines are scheduled to begin in 2026, with the US Food and Drug Administration approval targeted for 2029, according to the NIH.