British scientists have launched the world’s first trial of a vaccine that does not need to be kept in the fridge, using revolutionary technology that is set to be a “global lifesaver”.
At present vaccines need to be refrigerated or frozen, and this “cold chain” is a huge barrier to getting people vaccinated in developing countries — meaning that about half of all vaccines are thrown away each year.
The UK biotech firm Stablepharma has developed new technology, backed by the government, which converts existing vaccines to fridge-free versions that are “thermostable” and can be stored for long periods at room temperature.
One of their vaccines, the Stablepharma tetanus-diphtheria vaccine (SPVX02), is now being tested on humans in a clinical trial at University Hospital Southampton.
