A novel nasal and needle-free Covid-19 vaccine, licenced to Hyderabad-based Indian Immunologicals, is set to be a game changer against the infectious disease, according to research on Tuesday.
The study led by a team
from Griffith University in Australia investigated the effectiveness of
administering a Covid vaccination -- CDO-7N-1 -- through the nasal passages.
"This is a live
attenuated intranasal vaccine, called CDO-7N-1, designed to be administered
intranasally, thereby inducing potential mucosal immunity as well as systemic
immunity with just a single dose," said Professor Suresh Mahalingam of
Griffith's Institute for Biomedicine and Glycomics.
The research, published
in the journal, Nature Communications, showed the vaccine induces strong memory
responses in the nasal mucosa offering long-term protection for up to a year or
more.
"It's been designed
to be administered as a single dose, ideally as a booster vaccine, as a safe
alternative to needles with no adverse reactions in the short or long
term," Mahalingam said.
Compared to alternative
vaccination strategies, live-attenuated vaccines provide several important
advantages.
Their effects on humoral
and cellular immunity are strong and persistent, but they frequently require a
dose.
Unlike many other
vaccine platforms that use a single antigen, live-attenuated vaccines include
the complete virus, resulting in broad immunity.
Dr Xiang Liu, the lead
author of the study noted that CDO-7N-1 "provides cross-protection against
all variants of concern". It also has neutralising capacity against
SARS-CoV-1 -- the respiratory illness responsible for the 2002-2004 SARS
outbreak.
"The vaccine offers
potent protection against transmission, prevents reinfection and the spread of
the virus, while also reducing the generation of new variants," Liu said.
"Unlike the mRNA
vaccine which targets only the spike protein, CDO-7N-1 induces immunity to all
major SARS-CoV-2 proteins and is highly effective against all major variants to
date. Importantly, the vaccine remains stable at 4 degrees Celsius for seven
months, making it ideal for low- and middle-income countries," Liu added.
The vaccine has been
licenced to Indian Immunologicals -- a significant vaccine producer for human
and animal use.
Dr. K. Anand Kumar,
Managing Director of Indian Immunologicals said the company has "completed
all the necessary study of the vaccine" and now plans to launch
"clinical trials".
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