FluGen, along with Bharat Biotech and virologists at the University of Wisconsin, has begun the development and testing of a unique vaccine against COVID-19 called CoroFlu, the company announced recently.

According to a release, CoroFlu is built on the backbone of FluGen’s flu vaccine M2SR, which is a self-limiting version of the influenza virus that induces an immune response against the flu. FluGen will insert gene sequences from SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus, into M2SR so that the new vaccine will also induce immunity against the coronavirus.

M2SR includes technology exclusively licensed through the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF).

“The partners in this endeavor–University of Wisconsin researchers, a biotech startup and an international vaccine developer–are moving forward with a sense of urgency and integrity incumbent upon us as scientists and world citizens,” WARF CEO Erik Iverson said in a statement.

Refining the vaccine concept and testing in animals are expected to take 3-6 months, with a projection for human clinical trials by the fall of 2020.