Live Virus Neutralisation of the 501Y.V1 and 501Y.V2 SARS-CoV-2 Variants following INO-4800 Vaccination of Ferrets

To address concerns about emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants affecting vaccine-induced immunity, we investigated the neutralisation of representative (confirmed by NGS) G614, 501Y.V1 and 501Y.V2 virus isolates using sera from ferrets that had received prime-boost doses of the DNA vaccine, INO-4800. Neutralisation titres against G614 and 501Y.V1 were comparable, but titres against the 501Y.V2 variant were approximately 4-fold lower. The results demonstrate that INO-4800 antibody responses maintain the ability to neutralise current variants-of-concern.