Nordic Life Science 1
78 “We truly believe nasal vaccines can revolutio
nize the vaccine industry," says Maria Alriksson, CEO, Abera Bioscience. Orexo, on the other hand, has developed a powderbased technology called AmorphOX. The technology has shown good results in chemical degradation over time for many different modalities, including small molecules, peptides, and biologics. “We are using a powder so we can achieve higher stability and a longer shelf life, and less sensitivity to temperature variations,” Orexo’s Sørensen says. “We have seen that our powder technology AmorphOX delivers very strongly on stability. Vaccines or proteins and peptides – that otherwise are very sensitive – can be kept stable in room temperature using our powder technology.” W hen it comes to vaccines, potential targets are airborne viruses, respiratory diseases, and seasonal flus, Sørensen explains. Together, Abera and Orexo have already demonstrated a powder-based influenza vaccine in a proof-of-concept study. Powder formulations could reduce device costs, simplify logistics, and eliminate cold chain requirements. The stability and long shelf life of the powder technology makes it a versatile alternative to traditional vaccines, particularly in under-served regions of the world. “The most serious infections definitely emerge in areas of the world where you don't have access to healthcare infrastructure, and where the temperatures are often high. Access to nurses who can travel around with a cooling bag that keeps the vaccines frozen is very limited. The opportunity to give vaccines nasally in those regions is very promising,” Sørensen says. Regulatory challenges on the road ahead Despite the promise, nasal vaccines are still few and far between. As a nascent drug delivery method they face hurdles, and drug developers in the area need to find new regulatory pathways and regulatory acceptance. Despite this, Alriksson is confident about the longterm trajectory. Besides the obvious medical advantages, a non-injectable vaccine alternative may be easier for the general population to accept, she reflects. “No one wants to give their children injections if there’s an easier way,” she says, and continues: “Then you have widespread vaccine hesitancy where injections are troublesome in the sense that people are afraid of needles, so you could gain larger acceptance.” FluMist, a live attenuated influenza vaccine, is the first of its kind to be approved in the US and can be self-administered, demonstrating another benefit of nasal drug delivery – it’s easier to use and can be done by the patient themselves or a caregiver. “With nasal drug delivery we get easier administration, especially when looking at mass administration in the case of a pandemic, for example. This means that the burden of delivery and administration is removed from the healthcare system. So, with a nasal spray, you can increase the number of people vaccinated, compared to an injection,” Alriksson says. “We truly believe nasal vaccines can revolutionize the vaccine industry,” she concludes. NLS THE NOSE // NASAL DRUG DELIVERY PHOTO JESSYCA