New powder vaccine can be stored at room temperature for a year
London: A new powder version of the tetanus-diphtheria vaccine that can be stored at room temperature for a year has shown promise in a world-first trial, scientists said this week. Developed by UK-based Stablepharma, the fridge-free vaccine is mixed with water and injected. In a Phase 1 trial involving 60 volunteers, researchers reported “encouraging results” for its safety and effectiveness.
The breakthrough targets one of the biggest problems in global immunization. According to the World Health Organization, around half of vaccines are wasted each year globally, largely because they get too hot or too cold during transport and storage.“Keeping vaccines cold from the factory to the patient is one of the biggest challenges facing immunisation programmes,” said Prof. Saul Faust, director of the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Research. “Our study suggests that this vaccine can remain safe and effective without refrigeration.”“If larger studies confirm these findings, this technology could help transform the way vaccines are stored and delivered around the world,” Faust added.
Scientists said a room-temperature vaccine could be especially “transformative” for isolated and low-resource communities where reliable cold chains are hard to maintain. It could cut waste, reduce costs, and help get life-saving doses to people who currently miss out.
The team is now planning larger trials. If successful, the technology could be adapted for other common vaccines that currently require strict refrigeration.
