Project NextGen — Defeating SARS-CoV-2 and Preparing for the Next Pandemic

This perspective article outlines the goals of Project NextGen, a $5 billion U.S. government initiative to accelerate the development of next-generation Covid-19 vaccines and treatments. It addresses limitations of current countermeasures, challenges posed by viral evolution, and reduced public appetite for frequent vaccination. The plan emphasizes broader immunity against variants and sarbecoviruses, mucosal vaccines for transmission control, and resilient monoclonal antibodies. It highlights why government investment is needed due to market failures and underinvestment by private industry. Project NextGen aims to streamline clinical trials, bolster manufacturing capacity, and improve regulatory pathways, with implications for future pandemic preparedness across global partners.

This perspective article outlines the goals of Project NextGen, a $5 billion U.S. government initiative to accelerate the development of next-generation Covid-19 vaccines and treatments. It addresses limitations of current countermeasures, challenges posed by viral evolution, and reduced public appetite for frequent vaccination. The plan emphasizes broader immunity against variants and sarbecoviruses, mucosal vaccines for transmission control, and resilient monoclonal antibodies. It highlights why government investment is needed due to market failures and underinvestment by private industry. Project NextGen aims to streamline clinical trials, bolster manufacturing capacity, and improve regulatory pathways, with implications for future pandemic preparedness across global partners.