IIL develops needle-free intranasal COVID-19 booster vaccine

Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL) has announced the development of a live-attenuated, needle-free intranasal booster vaccine against SARS-CoV-2. The vaccine was created using codon deoptimization technology in collaboration with Griffith University, Australia. The research on this vaccine was published in the journal Nature Communications on August 26, 2024.

“The danger due to COVID-19 is still not over. It is still killing around 1,700 people a week around the world. World Health Organization urge people at-risk to keep up with their vaccinations with boosters,” the company stated.

Live attenuated vaccines are known to generate a robust and broad-spectrum neutralising antibody response. IIL’s intranasal booster vaccine has demonstrated stability and maintained safety in extensive animal studies.

Codon deoptimization involves reducing the frequency of underrepresented codon pairs without changing amino acid sequences, resulting in a highly efficient virus attenuation strategy. This method is time-efficient and expected to present all antigens, mimicking natural infection.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr K Anand Kumar, Managing Director, Indian Immunologicals Limited said, “This accomplishment signifies a major step forward in our battle against COVID-19. The development of this vaccine not only highlights our dedication to innovation in public health but also demonstrates IIL’s capability in adopting novel technology. We are enthusiastic about the codon deoptimization technology, and it’s use in targeted attenuation of microorganisms to be used as vaccine candidate”.

“Our pioneering intranasal vaccine is poised to revolutionize the fight against infectious diseases, and by facilitating non-invasive immunization, we aim to enhance vaccination rates, ultimately safeguarding more individuals and communities,” he added.

Dr Priyabrata Pattnaik, Deputy Managing Director, Indian Immunologicals Limited further stated, “This is a perfect example of Industry-Academia collaboration translating concepts to products for the benefit of people at large. Our R&D team has dedicated immense effort to the creation of this innovative vaccine, and we take pride in its proven safety and efficacy in generating a protective immune response with just a single dose”.