LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#TurnTherapeutics–Turn Therapeutics has successfully maintained a live vaccine’s viability for 24 hours at room temperature using its oil suspension technology. This breakthrough — which entailed stabilizing a well-recognized vaccine vector in a viscous oil delivery system — is a step toward making it easier to store, transport, and administer vaccines globally, especially in regions with limited infrastructure for refrigerated and deep-freeze vaccine storage.
“This discovery challenges the longstanding belief that lipid carriers inevitably destabilize or destroy lipid-enveloped vaccines,” said Bradley Burnam, CEO of Turn Therapeutics and creator of the oil suspension technology. “As we’ve heard before, we were told this couldn’t be done. Now, multiple studies demonstrate that, at least in our liquid-in-oil system, that’s not universally true.”
Live vaccines include a weakened form of the virus they aim to protect against. As a result, they frequently require deep freezing during extended transport and refrigeration at the site of administration. The refrigeration window typically maintains the vaccine’s viability for three to five days. Once removed from the refrigerator, clinicians may only have a few hours to administer the vaccine while it’s at room temperature. Due to these small windows and cold chain requirements, it’s difficult for vaccines to reach remote regions, if not occasionally impossible.
When testing its delivery system, Turn Therapeutics used a vaccine that’s considered stable for just four hours at room temperature in its standard liquid form. The company’s multi-step suspension process not only preserved the vaccine’s viability after suspending it in the oil-based carrier, but maintained it when the vaccine was left uncovered at room temperature for 24 hours.
Turn Therapeutics is studying the broader implications of this discovery, with a focus on needle-free, intranasal vaccines that would withstand transport under less controlled conditions. A study is currently underway to determine how much longer the suspension technology can maintain vaccine viability at room temperature.
Following this current study, Turn Therapeutics will conduct a multipronged, real-world simulation to assess stability in extended refrigerated and room-temperature conditions. The goal is to develop a thermostable delivery system that reduces or eliminates dependence on deep freezers and extends viability at both refrigerated and room temperature intervals. If successful, this technology could revolutionize vaccine access for global health efforts, military deployments, and rapid outbreak response.
“As it stands, deep freeze requirements and short stability windows render many life-saving vaccines inaccessible to remote regions,” Burnam said. “At Turn Therapeutics, we’re working toward a future where distribution challenges won’t hinder access to life-saving therapeutics.”
For more information or to request an interview with Turn Therapeutics CEO Bradley Burnam, please contact Cooper Rumrill at (202) 980-4968 or cooper@keybridge.biz.
About Turn Therapeutics
Turn Therapeutics is a pharmaceutical and medical device organization specializing in the development of advanced wound and dermatology solutions. Utilizing its proprietary technology and patient-first approach, Turn Therapeutics addresses critical needs in healthcare, aiming to improve access, outcomes, and quality of life. Visit turntherapeutics.com to learn more about the company.
The statements contained herein may include prospects, statements of future expectations, and other forward-looking statements that are based on management’s current views and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual results, performance, or events may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements.
Contacts
Cooper Rumrill
(202) 980-4968
cooper@keybridge.biz.
