On Mar. 23, 2020, Sorrento and SmartPharm Therapeutics announced a research and development collaboration to develop a next-generation, gene-encoded antibody vaccine for COVID-19. The collaboration will utilize monoclonal antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 virus discovered and/or generated by Sorrento that will be encoded into a gene for delivery utilizing SmartPharmﾒs non-viral nanoparticle platform.