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Medicine

New Patent-Free COVID Vaccine Developed As 'Gift To the World' (newatlas.com) 202

Posted by BeauHD from the come-and-get-it dept.
An anonymous reader quotes a report from New Atlas: A new COVID-19 vaccine, developed by researchers from the Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, is being offered patent-free to vaccine manufacturers across the world. Human trials have shown the vaccine to be safe and effective, with India already authorizing its use as production ramps up to over 100 million doses per month. The vaccine has been named Corbevax and it is based on a traditional protein-based technology that has been safely used for decades. Like other COVID-19 vaccines, Corbevax focuses on the coronavirus spike protein, but instead of using mRNA to direct our cells to produce those spike proteins internally it delivers lab-grown spike proteins to the body. The researchers took the gene that codes for the spike protein and engineered yeast to produce it. These proteins are collected, purified, and combined with an adjuvant to enhance immune responses. This exact method has been used to produce the hepatitis B vaccine for years.

In late 2020 the US research team developing the vaccine joined forces with India-based pharma company Biological E to begin clinical trials and establish manufacturing capacity. Across 2021 those clinical trials included several thousand participants and ultimately found Corbevax to be safe and effective at generating robust immune responses to SARS-CoV-2. The trial data was compared to an already approved vaccine called Covishield (the Indian-made version of Astrazeneca's well-known COVID-19 vaccine). Corbevax generated significantly fewer adverse effects than Covishield and produced superior immune responses. Neutralizing antibody responses to Corbevax indicate the vaccine should be at least 80 percent effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 from the Delta variant. Specific data against the Omicron variant is expected soon but it is hypothesized to be at least as effective as most currently available vaccines. Perhaps the most important feature of this new vaccine is the fact it has been developed as a patent-free product that can be easily manufactured by vaccine-producers around the world. The project has been described as "gift to the world" by researcher Peter Hotez. "India is the first country to issue emergency authorization to Corbevax and Biological E reportedly has 150 million doses ready to go, with production capacity set for 100 million doses per month from February," reports New Atlas.
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New Patent-Free COVID Vaccine Developed As 'Gift To the World' More

New Patent-Free COVID Vaccine Developed As 'Gift To the World'

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  • Is this the egg Incubation one? (Score:5, Informative)

    by e3m4n ( 947977 ) on Tuesday January 04, 2022 @09:23AM (#62141343)
    If its the egg incubation one I guess all they will need to do is track people that had adverse flu shot reactions. There have been a few cases of GBH associated with that type vaccine, which started the research into other vax research. On the up side, so few have reactions that they can spare the costlier vaccines for those that had bad reactions to the incubation methodology. It is a good way to help poor countries without them feeling beholden to foreign policy and favors from china or the US. Now they can participate in their own recovery without handouts.

    • Re:Is this the egg Incubation one? (Score:5, Informative)

      by jsrjsr ( 658966 ) on Tuesday January 04, 2022 @09:29AM (#62141371)

      No. This is spike protein grown in yeast cells. Not the same as viruses grown in eggs.

    • Re:Is this the egg Incubation one? (Score:5, Informative)

      by fazig ( 2909523 ) on Tuesday January 04, 2022 @10:01AM (#62141475)
      Nah, like the other commenter said, it's spike proteins grown in yeast.

      If all those who argue that they're afraid of their cells being 're-programmed' by mRNA to produce the spike proteins in the body, were actually afraid of that bit, they'd embrace this method where only the yeast was 're-programmed' to produce the spike proteins which are then collected.

      But I bet they find some other goal post to move and argue why this method isn't safe either. The first thing that comes to mind is that they'll complain about the engineered yeast not being natural or some shit.

      • Though I admire the science and potential, I took J&J to avoid the double dose of side effects from mRNA vaccines. I'd probably have put it off longer if there was just mRNA, offering choice helps a little at least.

        • I wanted the J&J because I had already had the virus and was worried that I wouldn't be given the second mRNA dose. I was in line to get vaccinated when it was paused. I asked if I could have it anyway since nothing in the recall applied to me but nope. Ended up with two shots of Pfizer. It wasn't super pleasant but not awful. Got Moderna for my booster yesterday and so far can hardly tell I got it.

        • The vector vaccines have even more side effects because they actually infect you with an adenovirus.
          For what it's worth, I had three shots of mRNA and zero side effects beside a sore arm, same as with any vaccine I ever had.

        • It’s the side effects that let you know it’s working. What next, good tasting medicine?

      • Why are you so certain people expressing concerns aren't REALLY concerned about those specifics and will just move goalposts?

        I mean, I honestly still have some reservations about mRNA based vaccines. Not so sure it's a great long-term strategy to try to reprogram our body's own cells to do things other than what they do on their own? So often, we get arrogant about such things because we really like the short-term results, without the ability to see a long-term downside or problem with it. (Think of all t

        • Why are you so certain people expressing concerns aren't REALLY concerned about those specifics and will just move goalposts?

          Mostly, their complete lack of understanding of the subject matter.

          For example, thinking that your cells have been long-term affected by the mRNA vaccines like pesticides bioaccumulate/persist.

          Also not knowing there's a 20+ year history of mRNA vaccines. They weren't better than the traditional vaccines they were trying to replace, so it wasn't worth the cold storage required to deploy them. If mRNA vaccines miraculously did cause massive problems 20 years later, those study subjects would have had them b

        • The modification is temporary. A human adult is actually insanely resistant to change and will fix virtually all 'fixes' anywhere from weeks to a couple years out. This is no small part of what has kept DNA modification treatments from making it to primetime.

          My concern is the spike protein itself. It invades the nucleus of the cell and impairs DNA repair mechanisms. Intentionally flooding ourselves with cancer juice probably isn't a good long term strategy. COVID is bad but not even in the same sport as can

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by jd ( 1658 )

        I've had two shots plus the booster, so don't need it. Otherwise, I'd ask if they can leave the alcohol in.

      • They're all idiots. I'm otherwise a chronic vaxxer, weighed the numbers available at the time and got the first two moderna shots. I even followed along and participated in real time with biohackers like Josiah Zayner that beat big pharma to the punch on producing a vaccine.

        There is more data now and anyone pointing it out being labeled a conspiracy theorist or antivaxxer and censored. It is the spike protein that is most harmful. It has been shown to readily invade the cell nucleus and disable DNA repair m

      • The first thing that comes to mind is that they'll complain about the engineered yeast not being natural or some shit.

        These are the same idiots leaving bad reviews about my hemlock tea and mintolla toilet paper products online. “Tea tasted great according to my sister, at least before she died one star” and “I can’t tell what’s even wrong, he hasn’t stopped screaming for two days!!!” Losers.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by fazig ( 2909523 )
          You should try heracleum mantegazzianum sun screen.
          No GMO there. All natural. All good.

    • If its the egg incubation one

      People used to not read TFA, now they only read the headline. What is the next step?

  • It's not the cost (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Luckyo ( 1726890 ) on Tuesday January 04, 2022 @09:24AM (#62141349)

    The most important part is missing. It's not the cost to manufacture that is effectively removing most developing nations from being able to utilize mRNA vaccines. It's the logistics requirements. mRNA is exceedingly unstable and requires very low temperatures for storing it for any meaningful period of time.

    This is why most of the vaccine doses of mRNA vaccines that were gifted to developing countries spoiled.

    This one on the other hand doesn't require deep freezing, but a normal refrigerator. It is stored at 2 to 8 celcius. That means that it actually has a good chance of getting injected rather than spoiling before it can reach a point of injection. So while it's great that it's patent free, India doesn't respect medical patents anyway. So patent aspect while important for places like Botswana that respect medical patents, it isn't the most important part because if you make something that cannot be properly distributed as it will spoil on the way or while stored waiting for patients.

    The most important part is suitability for developing countries logistics. And this vaccine has that part done correctly.

    • Re:It's not the cost (Score:5, Insightful)

      by crmarvin42 ( 652893 ) on Tuesday January 04, 2022 @10:34AM (#62141587)
      The patent free angle means that manufacturers in India capable of producing this vaccine have access to a much larger potential market for the vaccine they make. Most countries respect medical patents, which means for a patented vaccine, their potential market is largely just India. For this one, they can sell to any country they want without complication. Makes investing in larger scale production much more justifiable, so the peak production is higher, the ramp to peak is likely faster, and the number of people who can get the vaccine in the next 12 months is likely going to be larger.

      With a pandemic in full swing, and many countries still suffering under a lack of access to vaccines at all, this could be a game changer for many smaller/poorer countries that can benefit from India's manufacturing capabilities.

      • That still only partially addresses the problem of people not taking the vaccine regardless of availability. A problem even third-world countries have to deal with.

        • Inhaler trials should have been massively accelerated, same as mRNA. The probably shouldn't have been heavily publicised as long as it wasn't clear they could work or get the same efficiency, but the trials should have been finished ages ago and inhalers moved to commercialization already if they worked.

          If it works I'd say it's an easy 5% extra coverage. This was a huge blunder made because doctors ignored the human element and because they had a much bigger hardon for mRNA science.

    • Yeast fermentation likely makes a subunit vaccine just as cheap or cheaper than mRNA. You lose self amplification, you gain lower tech manufacturing and probably better stability at normal refrigeration temperatures.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by NFN_NLN ( 633283 )

      > The most important part is missing.

      The most important part is Pfizer, Moderna and J&J don't profit off of this. So we'll see if they continue using their vast war chest of money to influence political policy towards vaccines when they can't profit from them.

  • Staffing issues (Score:2, Informative)

    by RoccamOccam ( 953524 )
    Months after Rhode Island enforced a vaccinate mandate on health care workers in the state, resulting in hundreds of workers being let go, the state is allowing Covid-positive employees to continue working if there is a severe staffing crisis at their facility. https://www.providencejournal.... [providencejournal.com]

    • Re:Staffing issues (Score:5, Insightful)

      by ArchieBunker ( 132337 ) on Tuesday January 04, 2022 @09:39AM (#62141393)

      94% of the workers are vaccinated. https://www.bostonglobe.com/20... [bostonglobe.com] I say good riddance to the 6% who are free to seek employment elsewhere. I'm also fairly sure a requirement of working in healthcare is taking vaccines for Hepatitis and other nasties.

      Allowing infected employees to work is a worst case scenario for when the hospital is overflowing with unvaccinated idiots.

      • Re:Staffing issues (Score:4, Informative)

        by Darinbob ( 1142669 ) on Tuesday January 04, 2022 @02:21PM (#62142403)

        It's so bizarre though. Healthcare workers are required to have other vaccines, such as MMR, and yet this one vaccine and people freak out and claim it's political or a plot to get people more compliant, etc.

  • Thank Goodness (Score:5, Insightful)

    by drinkypoo ( 153816 ) <drink@hyperlogos.org> on Tuesday January 04, 2022 @09:26AM (#62141359) Homepage Journal

    Patent-free vaccines for Covid-19 are desperately needed given that we can't seem to develop any other plan for getting vaccines into those who need them.

    This is what I don't get about TPTB, they can profit from making the world a better place because they're in charge and they essentially tell us what we're going to do anyway. But then they decide to profit from shitting it up instead.

  • For the people (Score:5, Funny)

    by ArchieBunker ( 132337 ) on Tuesday January 04, 2022 @09:47AM (#62141413)

    Who don't trust something because it's free, I have a solution. I will charge you $10,000 instead to simulate the average American hospital experience.

    • Re: For the people (Score:5, Interesting)

      by e3m4n ( 947977 ) on Tuesday January 04, 2022 @10:30AM (#62141573)
      While I am no fan of the government forcing people to do stuff (i vaccinate for my own self preservation), I see no reason why they should be expected to pay for costlier treatments and testing if you wont first do the least cost preventative. If anything about out fucked up healthcare can be agreed on, its much much costlier than the wholesale cost to governments that have government assisted healthcare. Even 1 day in the hospital is $8k just about everywhere here. Thats not even ICU costs. Floor nurses getting paid $150/hr right now. I cant afford to pay an employee $150/hr for the full day I am in the hospital let alone all the other shit. Money motivates faster than any other thing on the planet.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by DarkOx ( 621550 )

        Cool story bro - I am not expecting the government to pay for anything. I am expecting the private health insurance firm I shovel piles of money at each month to pay if I require care. I have contract with them, it doesnt even contain the word SARS or COVID. "I control-F'd"

        there are lots of other things they are excused from covering and things I am expected to do if I want to be covered. I simply expect the contract to be honored. That's it. Government rules for health care should apply to people on medica

        • Honestly thats the first place I expect changes to come down. The simplified equation for insurance profitability comes down to:
          MoneyIn - ClaimsCost - AdministrationCost = Profit.

          In a pandemic payout situation ClaimCost will skyrocket along with an increase in AdministrationCost to help with the increased workload. So long as Profit remains above 0 they can technically operate without having to increase MoneyIn. As Profit approaches a level deemed unacceptable, only two options exist. Lower ClaimCost o

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by jd ( 1658 )

          Well, except that insurance doesn't cover all of the costs, the costs are also inflated because you're paying for a complete administration system for EVERY healthcare system and not just the healthcare system you go to (because insurance is there to make money, not give it away), and I'm fairly sure insurance will have exemptions for long-term emergencies. As for the contract being honoured, ha! Fat chance. As I said, they're there to make money and if they think you'll cost them money, they'll find loopho

    • Who don't trust something because it's free, I have a solution. I will charge you $10,000 instead to simulate the average American hospital experience.

      I'll charge $25,000 - but I'll make use of a digital twin.

    • $10,000? That's more like an afternoon at the hospital, not an entire day.

  • That's where you lost the antivaxxers already.

  • Made my day (Score:3)

    by ET3D ( 1169851 ) on Tuesday January 04, 2022 @10:54AM (#62141659)

    This sounds very promising, and it's lovely to read about people developing this without trying to make money off it. We need more of this.

  • Thank you Peter Hotez

  • If the corona keeps going further down the alphabet, they need faster ways to adapt vaccines.

    Also get a move on with inhaler vaccine trials.

  • One of the problems with mRNA vaccines was perception. It's new and therefore must be dangerous. Meanwhile actual people developing and working with mRNA have hailed them as the safest vaccines we've ever produced precisely because the process produces a reaction through one of the body's own mechanisms.

    Yes traditional vaccines are safe. mRNA is none the less even safer. However it's good we have traditional ones as well to battle those anti-science nutjobs who heard from Dr Facebook that mRNA is going to g

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by nasch ( 598556 )

      It's not new, it's just unfamiliar to the public. Research on mRNA vaccines started in the 80s.

    • One of the problems with mRNA vaccines was perception. It's new and therefore must be dangerous.

      Triple-vaccinated (BioNtech) skeptic who still does not trust mRNA treatments. I got vaccinated anyway, for the greater good of society. But this conventional vaccine assuages all my concerns. So did the Johnson&Johnson vaccine, but it is not available in my country.

      Why don't I trust mRNA treatments? Because of the deHavilland Comet, Therac-25, Tacoma Narrows Bridge and a host of other cutting-edge technologies that depended upon at-the-time poorly understood mechanisms. As we gain experience with mRNA

      • Good news, we've been testing mRNA vaccines for 20 years.

        They weren't better than the vaccines they were trying to replace, so the cold storage requirements weren't worth it. So they did not get commercialized.

        They're not new. You hearing about them is new.

        • I know that. I've done my research.

          mRNA vaccines were never in widespread use. They've been tested, but not deployed. I've seen a lot of code, products, and medicines that has been tested, but problems were still found on deploy.

  • Applause for the intent, and for making it unincumbered by patents and such.

    However, it is a protein sub-unit for only the receptor binding domain (RBD) [scientificamerican.com], which makes me think that a variant or two, and it will be less effective than whole spike vaccines such as the current mRNA ones.

    • The receptor binding domain is how it binds to the ACE2 receptors on our cells.

      If that mutates enough to avoid the vaccine, then it is extremely unlikely to still match our receptors. Like, winning the lottery many times in a row unlikely. Or getting hit by lighting on the 3rd Tuesday of June for 16 years in a row unlikely.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by kbahey ( 102895 )

        The receptor binding domain is how it binds to the ACE2 receptors on our cells.

        If that mutates enough to avoid the vaccine, then it is extremely unlikely to still match our receptors. Like, winning the lottery many times in a row unlikely. Or getting hit by lighting on the 3rd Tuesday of June for 16 years in a row unlikely.

        The full spike protein has 1273 amino acids. The previous vaccines expose the immune system to the full spike protein.

        The immune system works with subsets of proteins called epitopes. Cer

  • > Like other COVID-19 vaccines, Corbevax focuses on the coronavirus spike protein

    This is a misleading claim. There are two broad classes of sc2 vaccines: spike-only and whole-viron.

    Spike is the most prominent protein feature but rapidly mutates. E and N proteins are the stable parts that are included in whole-viron killed vaccines like Covaxin and can stimulate strong T-cell-mediated long-term immunity, as seen from long-term sc1 studies.

    Whole-viron vaccines can provide protection against disease while

    • Spike is the most prominent protein feature but rapidly mutates

      The spike protein is how it binds to the ACE2 receptor. While the sequence can mutate, it can't mutate far enough to avoid a vaccine without losing the ability to infect our cells.

      Since you're apparently unaware of this, kinda makes everything else in your post rather doubtful.

    • Whole-viron vaccines can provide protection against disease while the others have become obsolete.

      This is too stupid for words. Just, wow. Take your vaccine and go to bed, grandpa, it's nap time.

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