A coronavirus vaccine that exists in pill form could enter the early stages of clinical trials this year.
Oravax, the company that works on the substance, announced in a press release that it hopes to start the first phase of human clinical trials by June.
The step is only the first phase of developing a vaccine. There is no guarantee of success and, even if it works, it could be a year or more before it is authorized for use (Moderna and Pfizer started the first human tests in March and May 2020, respectively).
Oral vaccines are an evaluated option for “second generation” vaccines, which are designed to be more scalable, easier to administer and easier to distribute.
Oravax is a joint venture of two companies: the Israeli-American company Oramed and the Indian company Premas Biotech. His press release on Friday said trials could begin by June.
An oral vaccine could “potentially [enable] people should take the vaccine home themselves, “Nadram Kidron, CEO of Oramed, said in a statement.
The vaccine could be transported in a normal refrigerator and stored at room temperature, Kidron said, “making it logistically easier to get anywhere in the world,” the Jerusalem Post reported.
In an e-mail to Insider, Prof. Paul Hunter, a professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, called out a note of caution.
“We need studies done properly to prove it [oral vaccines’] it’s worth it, “he said.
But they can also be of value to people who are severely phobic and may be easier and faster to administer.
Oral vaccines could offer other benefits over vaccines taken in the arm, Hunter told Insider.
“Things related to systemic vaccines (shots in the arms) in that they are generally very good at preventing severe disease,” but are often not good at preventing infection.
The theory is that because the infection first occurs in the nose and throat, vaccines focused on these areas will help stop the infection before it develops to something worse.
Data on the Oravax vaccine have not been published to date. “The results of the animal studies are encouraging,” Hunter told Insider. “But don’t assume that animal results always translate into human results.”
“We need human studies to be sure,” he said.
Other types of second-generation vaccines are being investigated, such as vaccines released through a nasal spray. Scientists are also studying whether vaccines could be given through patches.
Prof. Sarah Gilbert, lead scientist in the development of the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine, said Oxford is evaluating the possibility of developing nasal spray tablets and oral vaccines, Independent reported on February 25th.
Oxford University declined to answer questions about Insider’s oral vaccines before publication.
Another company, ImmunityBio, is conducting phase 1 clinical trials of an oral version of the vaccine. However, it would be used as a booster dose for the intramuscular vaccine, rather than the vaccine alone.
The only human COVID-19 oral vaccine to date has not disappeared.
At the end of 2020, a company called Vaxart announced good results in animal studies, but in the first human studies it received disappointing answers.
This article was originally published by Business Insider.
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