Entos Pharmaceuticals, an Edmonton-based biotechnology company, expects to begin Phase 1 trials in humans of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate in the near future. The candidate, called Covigenix, uses a DNA-based platform that is similar, but not identical, to the RNA-based vaccines that have come from Moderna and Pfizer. DNA vaccines have less onerous storage requirements than RNA vaccines and require one dose instead of two. The trials will be conducted at the Canadian Centre for Vaccinology in Halifax.