Vaxart

Vaxart, Inc. (NASDAQ: VXRT) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing oral recombinant protein vaccines — vaccines delivered as a pill or tablet rather than by injection — using its proprietary VAAST (Vector-Adjuvant-Antigen Standardized Technology) oral vaccine platform. According to its website at vaxart.com, Vaxart's oral vaccine technology uses a modified adenovirus vector to deliver vaccine antigens to the gut-associated lymphoid tissue — the immune tissue lining the intestinal tract — stimulating both mucosal immunity in the gut and systemic immune responses that provide protection against viral respiratory and gastrointestinal infections. The oral delivery format eliminates the need for cold chain refrigeration required by injectable vaccines and the trained medical personnel required for injection-based vaccination, potentially enabling more accessible, scalable, and patient-friendly vaccine administration compared to conventional injectable vaccines.

Vaxart's vaccine development pipeline, described at vaxart.com, has included oral vaccine programs targeting influenza, COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), norovirus, and other viral infections where the combination of oral delivery convenience and mucosal immune stimulation could provide meaningful advantages over existing injectable vaccine approaches. The company's COVID-19 oral vaccine program received significant investor and media attention during the pandemic as a potential more convenient alternative to injectable mRNA and adenovirus vector COVID vaccines, and Vaxart conducted human clinical studies evaluating its oral COVID vaccine candidate in controlled clinical settings. Vaxart's influenza oral vaccine program has advanced through multiple clinical trials evaluating immune response and safety in volunteers.

Vaxart is listed on Nasdaq and pursues its oral vaccine development programs through a combination of internal research and development, government contract funding, and strategic partnerships with vaccine developers and public health organizations interested in the potential advantages of oral vaccine delivery for improving global vaccine accessibility. According to vaxart.com, the company's intellectual property in oral adenovirus vector vaccine technology and its clinical development experience across multiple vaccine programs provide the foundational platform for pursuing oral vaccine development across a range of viral pathogens where mucosal immunity and oral delivery convenience are particularly valuable. Vaxart's combination of oral recombinant vaccine platform, multi-pathogen development pipeline, Nasdaq-listed structure, and potential vaccine accessibility advantages positions it as a distinctive clinical-stage vaccine company pursuing a genuinely differentiated approach to human vaccine development.