JERUSALEM, Aug 2 — Imagine a Covid-19 vaccine that came as a pill: no needles, no medical professionals required to administer it, potentially delivered directly to people’s homes.
Oral vaccines are particularly attractive for the developing world, because they reduce the logistical burden of immunisation campaigns, said Kidron. “In order for the vaccine to really work well, we need as many people to take it as possible,” said Kidron.Challenges for oral delivery Oramed, which was founded in 2006, believes it has overcome the technical hurdles by designing a capsule that survives the highly acidic environment of the gut.
It also releases molecules called protease inhibitors that stop enzymes in the small intestine from breaking down the insulin, and an absorption enhancer to help the insulin cross into the bloodstream. These mimic three key structures of the pathogen: the spike protein, the envelope protein and the membrane protein.