CureVac’s COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate, CVnCoV, Demonstrated Efficient Protection of Non-Human Primates During SARS-CoV-2 Challenge Infection

Data provided further evidence on immunogenicity and protective efficacy of CVnCoV Induction of robust antibody and T cell responses at lower dose than tested in Phase 3 trial Full lung protection of CVnCoV-vaccinated animals during SARS-CoV-2 challenge infection  

TÜBINGEN, Germany/ BOSTON, USA – January 11, 2021 – CureVac N.V. (Nasdaq: CVAC), a global  biopharmaceutical company developing a new class of transformative medicines based on messenger  ribonucleic acid (mRNA), today announced the publication of preclinical data demonstrating the  induction of robust antibody and T cell responses of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, CVnCoV, in non human primates. Furthermore, rhesus macaques were shown to be protected from challenge infection  with SARS-CoV-2 following vaccination with 8µg of CVnCoV. The data provided important evidence on  the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of CVnCoV at low doses, supporting the ongoing  international clinical Phase 2b/3 efficacy study applying a 12µg dose. The full manuscript of the  preclinical data is available on the pre-print server bioRxiv. 

“These data further strengthen the protective profile of our lead COVID-19 vaccine candidate, CVnCoV,  and complement our recently published preclinical findings,” said Dr. Mariola Fotin-Mleczek, Chief  Technology Officer of CureVac. “Full protection of the lungs of vaccinated animals supports CVnCoV’s  potential in protecting humans from the devastating effects the virus has. We are very encouraged to  see that CVnCoV exihibits its protective efficacy already at a low dose, which is even lower than the dose  we advanced into late-stage human clinical testing.” 

Within the study, CVnCoV was tested in rhesus macaques at 8µg per dose following a two-dose  vaccination schedule at day 0 and day 28. Robust humoral and cellular immune responses include high  levels of spike protein and RBD specific binding, virus neutralizing antibodies and T cells. Upon challenge  infection, vaccinated animals showed a reduced viral load in the upper respiratory tract (nose and  throat) and full protection of the lower respiratory tract (lungs), where the virus was not detectable.  

About CVnCoV 

CureVac began development of its mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate in January 2020. The  vaccine is an optimized, non-chemically modified mRNA, encoding the prefusion stabilized full-length  spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and formulated within Lipid Nano Particles (LNPs). Phase 1 and  2a clinical trials of CVnCoV began in June and September 2020, respectively. Phase 1 interim data  reported in November 2020 showed that CVnCoV was generally well tolerated across all tested doses and induced strong antibody responses in addition to first indication of T cell activation. The quality of  immune response was comparable to recovered COVID-19 patients, closely mimicking the immune  response after natural COVID-19 infection. The data supported CureVac’s decision to advance a 12µg  dose into its current pivotal Phase 2b/3 study, the HERALD study, which started in December 2020.  Clinical trial material is provided by the company’s substantial production capacities for mRNA 

vaccines at its headquarters in Tübingen, supported by the current expansion of manufacturing  capacities in Europe, allowing broad-scale manufacturing of CVnCoV for potential commercial supply  preparedness.  

About CureVac 

CureVac is a global biopharmaceutical company in the field of messenger RNA (mRNA) technology, with more than 20 years of expertise in developing and optimizing the versatile biological molecule for  medical purposes. The principle of CureVac’s proprietary technology is the use of non-chemically  modified mRNA as a data carrier to instruct the human body to produce its own proteins capable of  fighting a broad range of diseases. Based on its proprietary technology, the company has built a deep  clinical pipeline across the areas of prophylactic vaccines, cancer therapies, antibody therapies, and the treatment of rare diseases. CureVac had its initial public offering on the New York Nasdaq in  August 2020. It is headquartered in Tübingen, Germany, and employs more than 500 people at its sites  in Tübingen, Frankfurt, and Boston, USA. Further information can be found at www.curevac.com. 

CureVac Media Contact 

Thorsten Schüller, Vice President Communications 

CureVac, Tübingen, Germany 

T: +49 7071 9883-1577 

thorsten.schueller@curevac.com 

CureVac Investor Relations Contact 

Dr. Sarah Fakih, Vice President Investor Relations 

CureVac, Tübingen, Germany 

T: +49 7071 9883-1298 

M: +49 160 90 496949 

sarah.fakih@curevac.com 

Forward-Looking Statements 

This press release contains statements that constitute “forward looking statements” as that term is  defined in the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements that  express the opinions, expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or projections of CureVac (the  “company”) regarding future events or future results, in contrast with statements that reflect historical  facts. Examples include discussion of the potency efficacy of the company’s vaccine candidate and the  company’s strategies, financing plans, growth opportunities and market growth. In some cases, you can  identify such forward-looking statements by terminology such as “anticipate,” “intend,” “believe,”  “estimate,” “plan,” “seek,” “project,” or “expect,” “may,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “potential,” “intend,”  or “should,” the negative of these terms or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based  on management’s current beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to the company. However, these forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of the company’s performance, and you should not place undue reliance on such statements. Forward-looking  statements are subject to many risks, uncertainties and other variable circumstances, including negative  worldwide economic conditions and ongoing instability and volatility in the worldwide financial markets,  ability to obtain funding, ability to conduct current and future preclinical studies and clinical trials, the  timing, expense and uncertainty of regulatory approval, reliance on third parties and collaboration  partners, ability to commercialize products, ability to manufacture any products, possible changes in  current and proposed legislation, regulations and governmental policies, pressures from increasing  competition and consolidation in the company’s industry, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the  company’s business and results of operations, ability to manage growth, reliance on key personnel,  reliance on intellectual property protection, ability to provide for patient safety, and fluctuations of  operating results due to the effect of exchange rates or other factors. Such risks and uncertainties may  cause the statements to be inaccurate and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such  statements. Many of these risks are outside of the company’s control and could cause its actual results  to differ materially from those it thought would occur. The forward-looking statements included in this  press release are made only as of the date hereof. The company does not undertake, and specifically  declines, any obligation to update any such statements or to publicly announce the results of any  revisions to any such statements to reflect future events or developments, except as required by law. 

For further information, please reference the company’s reports and documents filed with the U.S.  Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). You may get these documents by visiting EDGAR on the SEC  website at www.sec.gov.

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