Zika Virus Outbreak: Oral Zika Virus Vaccine in Pre-Clinical Testing

Biotech company Vaxart announced that it will begin pre-clinical testing of an oral vaccine for Zika virus. The vaccine, which comes in a tablet form, is said to have many benefits.

Vaxart is a clinical stage biotechnology company specializing in oral recombinant vaccines. These type of vaccines are administered by tablet rather than by injection, offering advantages in case of public health emergencies in distribution, administration and immunization. 

Until now, no vaccine and treatment are available for the Zika virus. Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak as an international public health emergency. In a press release posted on Business Wire, Vaxart announced that the company has started pre-clinical testing of an oral vaccine for Zika virus.

Vaxart is developing vaccines administrated through room temperature-stable tablets that can be shipped and stored without refrigeration. Vaxart's oral vaccines eliminate the risk of needle injuries and medical waste. They are based on the company's proprietary oral vaccine platform and are easy to administer. The lead Vaxart vaccine programs are oral vaccines for Norovirus, RSV and seasonal influenza, according to the company's website.

Since Vaxart's vaccine is in tablet form, this method is ideally suited for viruses such as Zika. According to Vaxart Chief Executive Officer Wouter Latour, M.D., given the rapid spread of the disease and its devastating impact on infants, the biotech company is responding to the global call-to-action to develop a Zika vaccine.

Latour explained that an oral vaccine for Zika virus could offer many public health benefits. This is the reason that determined the biotech company to work with NGOs, industry partners and government agencies in order to develop a potential Zika virus vaccine.

Vaxart Chief Scientific Officer Sean Tucker, Ph.D., added that a tablet vaccine for public health emergencies such as Zika virus could come with important benefits in "distribution, administration and immunization".