A British biomedical firm, ViraCorp, has joined with leading local pharmaceutical company Incepta to develop a unique and needle-free COVID-19 vaccine, according to a press release.
ViraCorp's new vaccine, which uses state-of-the-art intra-nasal technology, is based on the work of Lancaster virologist Dr Muhammad Munir, who has taken on the role of chief scientific officer at ViraCorp.
The press statement said the vaccine features a unique formulation and delivery method. It not only protects people against COVID-19, but it can also be delivered with nasal spray and transported using traditional cold transportation system.
This has numerous advantages compared to other vaccines - currently available in the market, it noted.
"Having such a vaccination, which can be transported easily and administered through a nasal delivery system, reduces the heavy infrastructure and training requirements of a vaccination drive. It will help ensure that the vaccine can reach some of the world's most remote communities," said Dr Munir.
"This partnership with Incepta is a critical milestone to further develop our next generation COVID-19 vaccine, which offers protection and blocks transmission - independent of the nature of SARS-COV-2 variants," he added.
In collaboration with ViraCorp and under its subsidiary ViraVac, Incepta is committed to providing next-generation vaccines. Incepta's facility has a yearly production capacity of 180 million single doses, or 1.0 billion doses in multi-dose format.
"Incepta always explores to acquire, develop and optimise new vaccine processes as well as production technologies. This collaboration (with ViraCorp) will be a milestone to provide a new delivery system, making the new vaccine a very attractive solution for vaccination in the developing countries like ours, alongside remote communities," said Dr Abdul Muktadir, Chairman and Managing Director of Incepta Vaccine Ltd.
Jon Chadwick, CEO of ViraCorp, is confident about where this and other recently announced partnerships will lead.
"By combining our resources, we will ensure the highest standard of quality in our work to make vaccines more available, both logistically and financially," he noted.
