HHS and NIH Invest in Universal Vaccine Platform for Pandemic-Prone Viruses

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have announced the development of the next-generation, universal vaccine platform, Generation Gold Standard, using a beta-propiolactone (BPL)-inactivated, whole-virus platform. The initiative is funding the NIH’s in-house development of universal influenza and coronavirus vaccines, including candidates BPL-1357 and BPL-24910, which aim to provide broad-spectrum protection against multiple strains of pandemic-prone viruses like H5N1 avian influenza and coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV-1 and MERS-CoV. 

According to an HHS press release, Generation Gold Standard: 

• Recalibrates America’s pandemic preparedness. Unlike traditional vaccines that target specific strains, BPL-inactivated whole-virus vaccines preserve the virus’s structural integrity while eliminating infectivity. This approach induces robust B and T cell immune responses and offers long-lasting protection across diverse viral families. Moreover, the intranasal formulation of BPL-1357 is currently in Phase Ib and II/III trials, and is designed to block virus transmission — an innovation absent from current flu and COVID-19 vaccines. 

• Is fully government-owned and NIH-developed. This approach ensures radical transparency, public accountability and freedom from commercial conflicts of interest. 

• Marks the future of vaccine development. In addition to influenza and coronavirus, the BPL platform is adaptable for future use against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), metapneumovirus and parainfluenza. It also offers the unprecedented capability to protect against avian influenza without inducing antigenic drift — a major step forward in proactive pandemic prevention. 

“Generation Gold Standard is a paradigm shift,” said NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD. “It extends vaccine protection beyond strain-specific limits and prepares for flu viral threats — not just today’s, but tomorrow’s as well — using traditional vaccine technology brought into the 21st century.” 

Clinical trials for universal influenza vaccines are scheduled to begin in 2026, with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval targeted for 2029. The intranasal BPL-1357 flu vaccine, currently in advanced trials, is also on track for FDA review by 2029.