Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL), a subsidiary of the state-owned National Dairy Development Board based in Hyderabad, India, announced the launch of a live-attenuated needle-free intra-nasal booster vaccine developed against SARS-CoV-2.
According to the company, the vaccine has been developed using codon deoptimization technology in collaboration with Griffith University, Australia.The vaccine’s efficiency has been validated through studies published in the journal Nature Communications, on 26 August 2024.
IIL emphasizes that live attenuated vaccines are known for generating robust and broad-spectrum neutralizing antibody responses. The company reports that their intra-nasal booster vaccine has demonstrated remarkable stability and safety in extensive animal studies.
Codon deoptimization, the core technology behind this vaccine, involves reducing the frequency of underrepresented codon pairs without altering amino acid sequences. This strategy allows for efficient virus attenuation, with the degree of attenuation adjustable from 1-100% as needed. IIL highlights that this method is extremely safe and significantly faster than conventional virus attenuation techniques, which can take several years.
The vaccine is designed to present all antigens and mimic natural infection, potentially offering comprehensive protection against COVID-19. Dr. K Anand Kumar, managing director of IIL, emphasized the significance of this development, stating that it represents a major step forward in the battle against COVID-19.
By offering a non-invasive method of administration, IIL aims to increase vaccination rates and provide broader protection to individuals and communities. The company posits that the ease of administration, broad protection against variants, and stability at moderate temperatures make the vaccine a promising candidate for global distribution.
Additionally, the development of this vaccine also opens up possibilities for applying codon deoptimization technology to other vaccine candidates. This could potentially lead to faster and more efficient vaccine development processes for various infectious diseases in the future.
Dr. Priyabrata Pattnaik, deputy managing director, Indian Immunologicals Limited, added, “This is a perfect example of industry-academia collaboration translating concepts to products for the benefit of people. Our R&D team has dedicated immense effort to the creation of this vaccine, and we take pride in its proven safety and efficacy in generating a protective immune response with just a single dose.”
