UK's ViraCorp partners with Incepta to develop nasal Covid-19 vaccine

British biomedical firm, ViraCorp, has joined forces with leading pharmaceutical company, Incepta, to develop a Covid-19 vaccine, which can be administered via one's nose.

Under its subsidiary ViraVac, ViraCorp's new vaccine is based on the work of Lancaster virologist Dr Muhammad Munir, who has taken on the role of chief scientific officer at ViraCorp.

It features a unique formulation and delivery method -- using nasal spray -- and transported using traditional cold-chain, said a press release.

This has numerous advantages compared to other vaccines currently on the market.

"Having a vaccine which can be transported easily and administered through a nasal delivery system reduces the heavy infrastructure and training requirements of a vaccination drive, and will help ensure that the vaccine can reach some of the world's most remote communities," said Dr Munir.

Incepta's facility has a yearly production capacity of 180 million single doses, or 1 billion doses in multi-dose format, added the release.

"Incepta always explores to acquire, develop and optimize new vaccine processes as well as production technologies. This collaboration will be a milestone to provide a new delivery system, making it a very attractive solution for vaccination in developing countries like ours, alongside remote communities," said Dr Abdul Muktadir, chairman and managing director, Incepta Vaccine Ltd.

ViraCorp CEO Jon Chadwick is confident about where this and other recently announced partnerships will lead.

"By combining our resources, we will ensure the highest standard of quality in our work to make vaccines more available, both logistically and financially," Jon said.

Dr Munir said, "This partnership with Incepta is a critical milestone to further develop our next generation Covid-19 vaccine which offers protections and blocks transmission independent of the nature of SARS-COV-2 variants."