The lollipop vaccine
In light of the rapid spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, an effective vaccine against the virus is being developed in many laboratories around the world. After the creation of such a vaccine, the next stage will begin – mass production and distribution around the world.
Maria Croyle's research group from the University of Texas at Austin has developed a new method for stabilizing vaccines and other biological preparations in a rapidly dissolving film that does not require cooling and can be administered orally.
The ingredients to create such a film are relatively cheap, and the process is simple enough to make the vaccination campaign much more affordable. Due to its flat and compact shape, large quantities of films can be easily shipped and distributed.
Worldwide, the vaccination rate has increased over the past decade, but still not enough – 13.5 million children were not vaccinated in 2018. The new technology has the potential to significantly improve global access to vaccines and other biological medicines.
Source: Maria Croyle, CC BY-ND.
The research team began developing this technology in 2007 when the US National Institutes of Health requested the development of a non-injectable, storage-resistant method of vaccine delivery. There was an idea to make it in the form of a lollipop. The scientists set to work mixing various formulations containing natural ingredients, such as sugars and salts, and testing their ability to form solid lollipops.
Many of the tested components destroyed the biological product as the film formed or crystallized during storage, destroying the biomaterial that needed to be preserved.
Vaccines against measles, polio, influenza, hepatitis B or Ebola virus, as well as many therapeutic antibodies used to treat infections and cancer, can be neatly sandwiched between protective layers. Source: Stephen C. Schafer, CC BY-ND.
Finally, after 450 attempts over the course of a year, components were found that can preserve biological products in film layers.
The researchers also worked to simplify the process of creating a vaccine film so that it does not require in-depth technical knowledge. The ingredients have been selected so that they dry faster, this will allow you to make a batch of the vaccine in the morning and send it after lunch.
The goal of the startup is to bring the technology to market within the next two years.
More advantages
All vaccines lose their effectiveness over time. The speed at which they do this mainly depends on the storage temperature. It is difficult and expensive to keep vaccines in the refrigerator all the time, and in some parts of the world it is simply impossible. Therefore, the creation of a vaccine that can be stored and transported at room temperature is a significant achievement.
When the project to create a vaccine against the Ebola virus in the form of a film was being completed, scientists accidentally found films containing virus antigens made by them three years ago, which were stored in a sealed container. They were re-drained and tested to see if the vaccine was capable of causing an immune response. Surprisingly, over 95% of the samples were still active. To achieve such an expiration date for an uncooled vaccine is a real breakthrough.
Vaccines in the form of a film are a thousand times lighter and more compact than conventional ones. This facilitates their delivery and distribution around the world. Source: Stephen Schafer and Maria Croyle, CC BY-NC-SA.
The harm caused to the environment by global immunization campaigns is rarely discussed. The Philippine measles Eradication Campaign in 2004, during which 18 million children were immunized within one month, produced 19.5 million used syringes (143 tons of sharp object waste) and almost 80 tons of non–hazardous waste - empty vials, syringe packs, caps, cotton swabs and packaging.
The new film, on the contrary, can be distributed by medical professionals who only have an envelope with the vaccine. It will leave no trace, except for the healthy population of the planet.
Article I.Bajrovic et al. Novel technology for storage and distribution of live vaccines and other biological medicines at ambient temperature is published in the journal Science Advances.
Aminat Adzhieva, portal "Eternal Youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of The Conversation: Vaccines without needles – a new shelf-stable film could revolutionize how medicines are distributed worldwide.