The world needs faster vaccines. A Buffalo company just jumped into the race in a big way
A University at Buffalo startup developing next-generation vaccine technology has secured up to $9.7 million from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, recognition that its platform could play an important role in the rapid deployment of vaccines against emerging infectious diseases.
The non-dilutive funding marks a significant milestone for POP Biotechnologies, positioning the Buffalo company to advance its technology into human clinical trials after years of research, development and partnership-building.
"This project brings us into an entirely new phase," CEO Jonathan Lovell said. "We're leading development of a vaccine candidate in the U.S. while testing what SNAP could make possible for future outbreak response."
Founded as a University at Buffalo spinout, POP Bio has spent years developing its SNAP nanoparticle platform, which is designed to simplify vaccine manufacturing and allow researchers to respond more quickly to emerging disease threats.
The company has licensed the technology for multiple vaccine applications, including programs targeting COVID-19, RSV and shingles.
Lovell also credits Buffalo's entrepreneurial ecosystem with helping establish some of those relationships.
Through the Buffalo Entrepreneurship Partnership's Entrepreneur-in-Residence program, POP Bio was introduced to South Korea-based EuBiologics, which later became a partner in developing a COVID-19 vaccine using the SNAP platform.
The latest funding builds on an earlier CEPI-backed project and will support manufacturing activities, preclinical work and a Phase 1 clinical trial focused on H5N1 avian influenza.
CEPI's interest aligns with its "100 Days Mission," a global initiative aimed at dramatically shortening the time required to develop vaccines when new pandemic threats emerge. Technologies that can reduce manufacturing complexity and accelerate development timelines are considered critical to achieving that goal.
For POP Bio, the award represents more than a research contract. Very few university spinouts successfully advance vaccine technologies into human clinical testing, a process that requires years of scientific validation, regulatory preparation and capital investment.
That accomplishment is even less common outside established biotechnology hubs.
"Most people assume this kind of work only happens in places like Boston or San Francisco," Lovell said. "People do a double take when they see what's happening here. But we're demonstrating that companies developing advanced vaccine technologies can succeed in Buffalo as well."
POP.BIO was among 11 companies recently “drafted” onto the Series B[uffalo] team by Buffalo Bills legend Eric Wood, honoring its momentum and growth projections. This is the second in a series of profiles on those companies.
The others include:
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