The new development of coronavirus treatment in the form of pill or nasal spray will be easier to store, transport and administer than the current handful of Covid shots that form the backbone of the worldwide vaccination effort.
These innovative vaccines, from U.S. government labs and companies include, Sanofi SA, Altimmune Inc. and Gritstone Oncology Inc.
According to the companies, these vaccines also have the potential to provide longer-lasting immune responses and be more strong against newer and multiple viral variants, probably helping to head off future pandemics.
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Vaccines currently authorized for use in the U.S. from Pfizer Inc. and its partner BioNTech SE, as well as Moderna Inc., must be transported and stored at low temperatures and require two doses administered weeks apart.
Gregory Poland, professor and vaccine researcher at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn said, new vaccines could “constitute some improvement” over those limitations and more easily put up vaccination efforts in rural areas. “You will see second-generation, third-generation vaccines,” he added
As per the World Health Organization, there are 277 Covid-19 vaccines in development globally, of which 93 have entered human testing. Most of the vaccines in clinical testing are vaccinated, but there are 2 oral formulations and 7 nasal spray formulations.
“It’s critically important down the road to have vaccines that are easier to handle and have better cold-chain characteristics,” said John Mascola, director of the vaccine-research center at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Altimmune, of Gaithersburg, Md., is developing a Covid-19 vaccine as a nasal spray, like the FluMist influenza vaccine from AstraZeneca PLC that is a popular choice for children for seasonal flu vaccination.
“It’s a very easy and efficient way to administer the vaccine,” said Scot Roberts, Altimmune’s chief scientific officer. “You don’t need needles and syringes.”
