Written by Mark Lupa
Co-Founder & General Partner,
Buff Gold Ventures
Growing up as a kid in the 60s and 70s I remember getting in line to get my polio vaccine, which came in a sugar cube at the time. Not long after, we got the mumps, smallpox and measles vaccines, although I’m pretty sure I had gotten measles as a younger child.
These were all part of the CDC campaigns to eradicate first polio, then measles in the US. This was seen as a godsend for families, who in the early part of the 20th century lived in some fear of their children being stricken with one of these diseases, and ending up disabled or even dead.
Fast forward to 2020 and a new pandemic is racing across the world, of unknown origin. This virus infects over 100,000,000 people and kills over 1,000,000 in the US, before several newly developed vaccines are introduced to the market in early 2022. Over several months, the combination of vaccinations and natural immunity from viral infections causes the pandemic to subside, bringing a huge feeling of relief to all of us, around the world.
Over the pandemic period, people worldwide learned first-hand about the power and drawbacks of vaccines. We learned that there were different types of vaccines (mRNA, live attenuated, viral vector), and that some required more than one injection, that there were some side effects. We learned that two years to develop a vaccine was an unheard of achievement. We also learned that some vaccines require deep cold for transport, and that despite the miraculous nature of these covid vaccines, it was not always easy to get people to take one shot, let alone two or three that might be necessary. A large part of our population came to understand the importance of vaccines in their lives, and the biotech industry as a whole.
Vitrivax is a biotech company based on intellectual property out of the University of Colorado Boulder, that addresses two of the long-standing issues with vaccines: the need to store them in a very cold environment, and the requirement for multiple injections in order to meet sufficient efficacy. Vitrivax creates long-term thermostability by encasing the vaccine antigen in a sugar crystal, which protects the protein from high heat. Delayed release is achieved through a novel technology that covers the antigen with layers of specific metal ions. By calibrating the number of atomic layers, the vaccine can be released systemically at different time points in the future through natural physiologic processes. Thus, one injection could hold 2, 3, or more different forms of antigens included to be released whenever desired. This novel formulation technology will allow vaccines to be transported more easily into third world countries, will lower the cost globally, and will eliminate the need for multiple injections, making it easier to become fully protected and increasing the population efficacy of those vaccinated. The company is doing proof of concept experiments with several of the major vaccine developers, and hopes to see its technology making a difference in the world in the coming years.
Congratulations to CEO Rom Colindres and his team for pushing development of this technology so far along, and good luck in getting over the finish line and into injections!
