Even if they make it possible to limit the serious forms of the disease, vaccines against Covid-19 do not prevent the transmission of the virus between people. When will we finally be able to abandon barrier gestures? A new French vaccine would seem capable of meeting this challenge! In addition, its mode of administration is original: it is a nasal spray.
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[EN VIDÉO] Why are we more afraid of vaccines than drugs? Nearly one in four French people refuses to be vaccinated. Most people, however, have no reluctance to swallow drugs. Where does this difference come from ?
A french team from the University of Tours gate an innovative project. It is a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 which would block any contagiousness. In the current context, where new variants always more contagious appear regularly, could this project finally signal the end of masks? The start-up French company LoValTech (for Loire Valley Technology), created in January 2022, holds the exclusive license to use the patent for the new vaccine. A marketing authorization is planned for the end of 2023, beginning of 2024.
A nasal vaccine suppressing contagiousness
Preclinical tests have been carried out in the laboratory on rodents (hamster and mouse). The vaccination schedule is as follows: two nasal instillations spaced three weeks apart. The vaccine can trigger a immune response but also to neutralize the virus. This is its originality: it would make it possible to suppress the transmission of the virus between people. The advantage is twofold. First, the virus stops spreading and infecting other people. Second, the virus circulates little and the risk of seeing new variants arise decreases. The clinical tests in humans should start in the second quarter of 2022.
A vaccine effective against all variants?
The vaccine consists of non-mutating viral proteins. Which means the vaccine would be a priori effective against all variants of coronavirus ! How is it possible ? This vaccine triggers a immunity cellular type and not only humoral. where the others vaccines stimulate the production ofantibody (humoral immunity), it also activates the T cells (cellular immunity). The latest trials show that the vaccine is effective against the Delta variant of the coronavirus. Concerning Omicron variantthe research team is not yet in a position to say, but the preliminary results are encouraging.
And these are not the only advantages of this new kind of vaccine! This is made up of viral proteins and does not rely on technologies to mRNA. Will it convince most reluctant to get vaccinated ? It is also easy to store: between 4 and 20°C.
Even if there is no doubt that a large part of the European population will have received their three doses of vaccine when it is released, the fact remains that this nasal vaccine could constitute a major new tool to combat the virus in the countries emerging.
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