Synthetic Vaccines – Addressing the “One Bug One Drug” Phenomenon
- Jun 21, 2018
- 2 min read
Emergex Vaccines Holding Limited (“Emergex”) is attracting global attention for its ability to produce entirely synthetic vaccines for both viral and bacterial infectious diseases. By combining gold nanoparticle technology, validated antigen technology and microneedle patch technology, Emergex could easily be at the forefront of changing the vaccine development landscape forever. The vaccines require no cold storage, they are stable in high temperatures, can be produced in a fraction of the time it takes to produce conventional vaccines and the production cost is significantly lower. Distribution by microneedle patch could result in higher compliance as there will be no requirement for the patient to return to medical centres for administration of the vaccine.
Emergex, was incorporated in January 2016 by Professor Thomas Rademacher and Storme Moore-Thornicroft. In the short time since inception, vaccine candidates have been identified, undergone pre-clinical testing and are expected in the clinic in H1, 2019. The cross reactive or Universal Flavivirus Vaccine (all serotypes of Dengue, Zika, and Yellow Fever) and the Universal Influenza (Including Pandemic Flu) will be the first vaccines to enter the clinic. The Universal Filovirus Vaccine (all strains of Ebola, and Marburg Fever) will follow shortly behind and enter the clinic in H2 2019. Future projects include vaccines against meningitis, and bacterial pneumonia.
The international response to the Ebola outbreak of 2014 was concertedly committed to containing the virus. Despite attempts by biotech and major pharma companies to develop a vaccine during that outbreak, it was the infection containment measures that limited the spread of Ebola before it was eradicated. No vaccine existed and no company was capable of developing a vaccine in rapid response to that outbreak. Glaxosmithkline plc’s ChAd3-Ebov and Merck & Co. Inc.’s V-920 (VSV- Zebov) is an immune therapy that must be administered within 10 days of exposure, thereafter, it does not work. It does not address the patient, but rather the people who come into contact with that patient, e.g. health workers, and those who come into contact with the health workers.
With the attributes of this technology, and considering the widespread applicability of these vaccines to life threatening infectious diseases within a given high-risk group, Emergex’s technology has appealed to various important countries where such viruses are endemic. Governments with whom Emergex is engaged are desperately seeking solutions to the diseases and with the much broader threat of Disease X (where a virus is not identifiable by name), Emergex is well positioned to create repositories and have its vaccines stored for rapid response, and first line defence.
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