IIScincubated Mynvax to get funding to bring ‘warm’ Covid vaccine to market

IIScincubated Mynvax to get funding to bring ‘warm’ Covid vaccine to market

Subject : Science & tech

Context : Mynvax, a vaccine technology startup, incubated by the Society for Innovation and Development (SID) at the Indian Institute of Science, has signed an agreement to raise 4.2 million dollars.

Concept :

• A heat-tolerant COVID-19 vaccine formulation developed by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru has proven effective against all current SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, according to a study in animals.
• The research, published in the ACS Infectious Diseases journal on Thursday, showed the vaccine formulations by IISc-incubated biotech start-up Mynvax triggered a strong immune response in mice.
• The formulation also protected hamsters from the virus and remained stable at 37 degrees Celsius up to a month, and at 100 degrees Celsius for up to 90 minutes, the researchers said.
• The team, including researchers from Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), noted that most vaccines require refrigeration to remain effective.
• Vaccine also remained stable for up to a month at 37 degrees Celsius while at 100 degrees Celsius it remained stable for up to 90 minutes.