I'm the founder of PopVax -- here's some context on this vaccine:
PVX-001 is a broadly-protective COVID-19 vaccine candidate intended to protect against new variants of SARS-CoV-2 even as the virus mutates. It is built on our RNA-encoded virus-like particle (VLP) architecture to elicit a broad & potent immune response.
Our lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulation, based on our own novel ionizable lipid PVXL-150, keeps the vaccine stable at 2-8 °C, regular refrigerator temperatures, for at least 9 months, rather than the -20 or -80 °C required by the first-generation mRNA vaccines approved for COVID-19. This will make it far easier to distribute the vaccine in developing countries.
The vaccine was largely funded by Vitalik Buterin's scientific investment fund Balvi -- in collaboration with them, we've made a commitment to making this vaccine open-source. Once the Phase I trial of PVX-001 concludes, we will open-source the design and manufacturing information needed for others to produce and build on it, and we will not enforce our intellectual property rights against anyone who uses it to make vaccines against any betacoronavirus -- the viral genus that includes SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV.
We are doing this because SARS-CoV-2 and its close cousins remain a substantial pandemic risk. In just the past few decades, they have caused one major epidemic (SARS), one close call (MERS), and one global pandemic that killed millions. The designs developed after the original SARS outbreak gave the first generation of COVID-19 vaccines a crucial head start in 2020. We want humanity to have an even better head start next time: a broadly-protective, refrigerator-stable vaccine that any scientist, vaccine producer, or member of the public, located anywhere, can improve, adapt to their needs, and manufacture without having to worry about IP.
Am I wrong in saying that along with new peptides, mRNA tech has the potential to dramatically upend healthcare as we know it. What else can you do with it or is it just for vaccines you think?
Thank you! Australia is very fast -- they have a decentralized system of institutional and private ethics committees to approve trials, rather than the regulator deciding centrally, though the regulator retains the right to halt any trial at any time. They also have a generous tax credit for startups doing R&D there.
I've written about the Australian clinical trial system and the reforms I think India needs to accelerate our slow and archaic framework twice recently:
"Once the Phase I trial of PVX-001 concludes, we will open-source the design and manufacturing information needed for others to produce and build on it, and we will not enforce our intellectual property rights against anyone who uses it to make vaccines against any betacoronavirus [...]"
The headline seems slightly inaccurate. A pledge of later going open-source isn't the same as open-source. Sure, "marketing".
They kind of did the opposite. Started off open source until they had gotten what they needed from the goodwill of the open source community, then made it closed source to make sure they wouldn't have to return any of that goodwill
Open source software is still copyrighted, its just that the rights holders grant you a license that allows you to do certain things as long as you stick to certain conditions
I propose we continue making the vaccine available, keep updating it for the latest flu, make it broadly available to everyone. In the "rich west", we keep people getting inoculated, and our health care payments keep research on the vaccines continuing. Also we make it available free for people in the developing world, or almost free. Vaccination should basically be a universal human right. Bill Gates by himself was paying for a ton of vaccines and also convinced the US govt to fund some. Unfortunately vandals came into power in the US.
We kick the idiots out who are destroying the international systems at the behest of our idiocracy government in the us. See what they did to usaid. Also those same people love to complain about non-existent things, such as that vaccines are awful and hurt us (like Kennedy in the us).
I guess there are still people that wears masks like that mask mandated lesbian bar in tiktok. Some people are just crazy like they stop living life to the fullest in fear of dying.
Everyone is entitled to their own level of risk aversion. As long as it's not hurting you I don't see any reason to demonize it. There are in fact people who need to mask due to being on immunosuppressants, or living with conditions which impede normal immune system function. My understanding is that the bar you're referring to has patrons for which this is true, and as easy as it is to take potshots at some of the folks involved in that story, I laud the attempt to provide a space for people who otherwise have nowhere to go.
I personally still mask up in certain scenarios. If I am going on vacation, for instance, I will mask to reduce my chances of being sick on vacation. If I see that the local COVID numbers are particularly high, I will wear one to the grocery store. There are a lot of scenarios where putting it on causes me zero inconvenience and potentially reduces the risk of me feeling miserable or missing an important life event. Having everyone at the grocery store see my face is not important to me.
I'm the founder of PopVax -- here's some context on this vaccine:
PVX-001 is a broadly-protective COVID-19 vaccine candidate intended to protect against new variants of SARS-CoV-2 even as the virus mutates. It is built on our RNA-encoded virus-like particle (VLP) architecture to elicit a broad & potent immune response.
Our lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulation, based on our own novel ionizable lipid PVXL-150, keeps the vaccine stable at 2-8 °C, regular refrigerator temperatures, for at least 9 months, rather than the -20 or -80 °C required by the first-generation mRNA vaccines approved for COVID-19. This will make it far easier to distribute the vaccine in developing countries.
The vaccine was largely funded by Vitalik Buterin's scientific investment fund Balvi -- in collaboration with them, we've made a commitment to making this vaccine open-source. Once the Phase I trial of PVX-001 concludes, we will open-source the design and manufacturing information needed for others to produce and build on it, and we will not enforce our intellectual property rights against anyone who uses it to make vaccines against any betacoronavirus -- the viral genus that includes SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV.
We are doing this because SARS-CoV-2 and its close cousins remain a substantial pandemic risk. In just the past few decades, they have caused one major epidemic (SARS), one close call (MERS), and one global pandemic that killed millions. The designs developed after the original SARS outbreak gave the first generation of COVID-19 vaccines a crucial head start in 2020. We want humanity to have an even better head start next time: a broadly-protective, refrigerator-stable vaccine that any scientist, vaccine producer, or member of the public, located anywhere, can improve, adapt to their needs, and manufacture without having to worry about IP.
Congratulations and thank you
Question from a novice: does the broad protection offered by your vaccine imply that there would be less need for yearly boosters?
I have the same question. What do antibody titers look like in early participants?
What are the best other possible uses for LNP
Am I wrong in saying that along with new peptides, mRNA tech has the potential to dramatically upend healthcare as we know it. What else can you do with it or is it just for vaccines you think?
Congratulations to the team! A production ready lipid micelle with reliable human cellular uptake is non trivials. Kudos from the biotech community :)
Well written blog post, very inspiring what you're doing. Thank you!
Congrats! I understand that you tried with the US first and was forced to rethink. Why Australia?
Thank you! Australia is very fast -- they have a decentralized system of institutional and private ethics committees to approve trials, rather than the regulator deciding centrally, though the regulator retains the right to halt any trial at any time. They also have a generous tax credit for startups doing R&D there.
I've written about the Australian clinical trial system and the reforms I think India needs to accelerate our slow and archaic framework twice recently:
1) https://www.infinitesunrise.com/p/we-must-accelerate-clinica...
2) https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/opinion/et-commentary/a...
What does it even mean for a vaccine to be open-source?
As per the founder in the thread:
"Once the Phase I trial of PVX-001 concludes, we will open-source the design and manufacturing information needed for others to produce and build on it, and we will not enforce our intellectual property rights against anyone who uses it to make vaccines against any betacoronavirus [...]"
The headline seems slightly inaccurate. A pledge of later going open-source isn't the same as open-source. Sure, "marketing".
I don't make my repos public until I've fully tested everything and actually have something to show.
Hey, it worked for OpenAI!
They kind of did the opposite. Started off open source until they had gotten what they needed from the goodwill of the open source community, then made it closed source to make sure they wouldn't have to return any of that goodwill
Guess my sarcasm wasn't heavy enough...
I assume it's not patented or copyrighted?
Open source software is still copyrighted, its just that the rights holders grant you a license that allows you to do certain things as long as you stick to certain conditions
But that's not what the word "open-source" means
btw there are still 600 deaths per month from covid in the US
every month, even in 2026
remember that when you hear 6 deaths from measles in all of 2026
both preventable tragedies
and millions suffering long-covid maybe for remainder of miserable lives
There were ~38,000 influenza deaths in the 2024-2025 flu season in the United States. What are you proposing?
I propose we continue making the vaccine available, keep updating it for the latest flu, make it broadly available to everyone. In the "rich west", we keep people getting inoculated, and our health care payments keep research on the vaccines continuing. Also we make it available free for people in the developing world, or almost free. Vaccination should basically be a universal human right. Bill Gates by himself was paying for a ton of vaccines and also convinced the US govt to fund some. Unfortunately vandals came into power in the US.
We kick the idiots out who are destroying the international systems at the behest of our idiocracy government in the us. See what they did to usaid. Also those same people love to complain about non-existent things, such as that vaccines are awful and hurt us (like Kennedy in the us).
How is covid preventable?
Wash your hands, get a yearly booster
I guess there are still people that wears masks like that mask mandated lesbian bar in tiktok. Some people are just crazy like they stop living life to the fullest in fear of dying.
Everyone is entitled to their own level of risk aversion. As long as it's not hurting you I don't see any reason to demonize it. There are in fact people who need to mask due to being on immunosuppressants, or living with conditions which impede normal immune system function. My understanding is that the bar you're referring to has patrons for which this is true, and as easy as it is to take potshots at some of the folks involved in that story, I laud the attempt to provide a space for people who otherwise have nowhere to go.
I personally still mask up in certain scenarios. If I am going on vacation, for instance, I will mask to reduce my chances of being sick on vacation. If I see that the local COVID numbers are particularly high, I will wear one to the grocery store. There are a lot of scenarios where putting it on causes me zero inconvenience and potentially reduces the risk of me feeling miserable or missing an important life event. Having everyone at the grocery store see my face is not important to me.
Wearing a mask is not "not living life to the fullest".
Being severely impaired by long COVID (still a 1~5% risk in my understanding) is.
> mask mandated lesbian bar
if they're sheer or made out of latex, i don't think that's why they're wearing them :)
you're both commenting under a post about a covid vaccine.
stands to reason, via a vaccine?
why can't you just state what you think plainly instead of coyly asking rhetorical questions?
This is fantastic and would be brilliant as a guide to how medicine needs to be.