FIRM JOINS EFFORT TO DEVELOP ORAL VACCINES

British drugmaker Cobra Biomanufacturing has joined a consortium formed to develop a new vaccine delivery system based on live bacterial spores. The project is funded by a European Union Sixth Framework grant, according to the company.

Spores of the harmless gut bacterium Bacillus subtilis are already taken orally as a probiotic to aid digestive health, the company said. The research program will involve spores that are genetically engineered to express vaccine determinants on their coats. Such spores are able to survive ingestion, and can therefore deliver the vaccine to the immune system. Spores are very stable and do not require cold storage, and the oral delivery will avoid the problems associated with needles, making this technology particularly valuable in developing countries, according to Cobra. The initial disease targets will be malaria and tuberculosis.

"This consortium brings together creative science from around the world, including UK, Germany, Italy, Austria and Vietnam, with the aim of applying modern genetic techniques to develop cheap effective oral vaccines," Cobra's CEO David Thatcher said. "Cobra is delighted to be collaborating on this innovative project, which along with Cobra's proprietary ORT-VAC technology, reinforces Cobra's position at the forefront of oral vaccine research."