Turn Therapeutics announced promising stability data for its intranasal vaccine candidate, marking a significant step toward potentially reducing dependency on ultra-cold vaccine storage. The live, lipid-enveloped vaccine demonstrated 14 days of viability at ambient temperature and 28 days under standard refrigeration.
“A thermostable, intranasal vaccine — if successful — could eliminate the need for freezer storage and clinical administration, enabling medicines to reach remote, conflict-affected, or underserved regions,” said Bradley Burnam of Turn Therapeutics.
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The vaccine candidate’s formulation employs the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative’s rVSV-MARV vector, suspended in Turn’s proprietary oil-based delivery system, PermaFusion.
“What began as a moonshot feels as if it’s becoming a reality,” said Bradley Burnam, CEO of Turn Therapeutics and creator of PermaFusion. “There was no precedent or published data to suggest a lipid-enveloped vaccine would survive even the first round of mixing into an oil carrier — let alone remain fully recoverable after 14 days at room temperature and 28 days refrigerated. It’s uncharted territory for live vaccine storage and distribution.”
The oil-suspended vaccine was successfully recovered at 10 dilutions after 14 days at ambient temperature and 28 days under refrigeration, with zero drop-off in refrigerated samples — suggesting potential for longer refrigerated storage. This performance exceeded internal benchmarks.
Turn intends to commence further stability studies in 2025 to evaluate extended time points, including 60, 90, and 180 days. The company also plans to initiate exploratory, in vivo immunogenicity studies later this year to evaluate mucosal and systemic immune responses to the current candidate formulation.
The intranasal candidate is believed to be the first live, lipid-enveloped vaccine to demonstrate stability in an oil-based delivery platform. If further studies confirm safety and continued viability, this approach may inform future strategies for improving vaccine storage and distribution across biosecurity, emergency preparedness, outbreak response, and routine immunization campaigns.
“Improving access has always been a core value at Turn,” Burnam added. “A thermostable, intranasal vaccine — if successful — could eliminate the need for -80°C freezer storage and clinical administration, potentially enabling critical medicines to reach remote, conflict-affected, or underserved regions.”
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