Indian firm to make fridge-free vaccines

Non-perishable vaccines can provide a shot in the arm for immunisation programmes

The Raw Prawn (via Suhit) and The Economist write about a new innovation in the ‘shipping and delivery’ of vaccines. Panacea Biotec, an Indian firm is to trial and manufacture the vaccine. Clinical trials are expected to take a relatively short period of two-years, as it is only the delivery mechanism that is new.

Here’s something to put this innovation in perspective — it is estimated that half of all vaccines doses are wasted when the heat of the journey makes them ineffective. The Cambridge-Delhi collaboration raises hopes that a leading edge innovation can find its way to the needing-edge countries quickly and cost-effectively.

If all goes well, the vaccine could be on the market in three years’ time. By eliminating the need for refrigeration, the technology could save up to $300m a year in global vaccine costs, which means another 10m poor children could be protected. Moreover, the technique may also work with other protein-based drugs, such as insulin.[The Economist]