Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL), vaccine manufacturer, unveiled a live-attenuated needle-free intranasal booster vaccine for SARS-CoV-2. Developed in collaboration with Griffith University, Australia, the vaccine utilizes advanced codon deoptimization technology. The significant research behind this vaccine was recently published in the prestigious journal Nature Communications on August 26, 2024.
Despite the global situation improving, COVID-19 remains a serious threat, causing approximately 1,700 deaths weekly worldwide. The World Health Organization continues to emphasize the importance of vaccination, particularly for high-risk individuals, and advocates for regular booster doses.
Among the various vaccine types available, live-attenuated vaccines are well-regarded for their ability to induce a strong and broad-spectrum neutralizing antibody response. IIL’s new intranasal booster, developed using codon deoptimization technology, has shown impressive stability and safety in extensive animal testing.
Codon deoptimization works by reducing the frequency of underrepresented codon pairs, which are the genetic codes for amino acids, without altering the actual amino acid sequences. This innovative approach is a highly effective virus attenuation strategy, leveraging suboptimal codon pairs to weaken recoded viruses.
As reported by pharmabiz.com, it offers significant advantages in terms of safety and time efficiency compared to traditional methods of virus attenuation, which can take years. This method allows for precise control over the degree of attenuation, ranging from 1-100%, and is applicable to virtually all viruses. The guided attenuation ensures that the attenuated virus presents all antigens and closely mimics natural infection.
Dr. K Anand Kumar, Managing Director of Indian Immunologicals Limited said, “This marks a significant milestone in our ongoing fight against COVID-19. The development of this vaccine underscores our commitment to public health innovation and showcases IIL’s ability to embrace novel technologies. We are excited about the potential of codon deoptimization technology for the targeted attenuation of microorganisms to be used as vaccine candidates”.
He further noted, “Our pioneering intranasal vaccine has the potential to revolutionize the battle against infectious diseases. By enabling non-invasive immunization, we aim to increase vaccination rates and ultimately protect more people and communities.”
Dr. Priyabrata Pattnaik, Deputy Managing Director, IIL added, “This vaccine is a prime example of how Industry-Academia partnerships can translate scientific concepts into products that benefit the broader population. Our R&D team has worked tirelessly to create this innovative vaccine, and we are proud of its proven safety and efficacy in generating a protective immune response with just a single dose”.