An Israeli company has developed an oral pill vaccine against the novel coronavirus, which is expected to enter clinical trials in a month. The "Times of Israel" reported that clinical trials for the new vaccine will begin next month after it successfully produced antibodies in pigs. The vaccine was created by Oramed Pharmaceuticals, known for developing oral drug delivery systems, and it will be further developed by the Indian company Primus Biotech.
Oramed has received approval from the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center to start clinical trials involving 24 unvaccinated volunteers. The trials will monitor whether the vaccine pills stimulate the production of antibodies against the coronavirus, as well as measure the levels of these antibodies if present.
Oramed's CEO, Nadav Kidron, stated that this discovery could be a game-changer for countries like India, where only 5% of the population has been vaccinated. The new vaccine, if approved, could assist countries struggling with vaccination efforts since these pills do not require specialists for administration like traditional injectable vaccines, nor do they need to be stored at low temperatures.
Kidron expects that this new medical technology could aid healthcare providers in overcoming the potential challenge of delivering booster doses, especially in light of the Delta variant outbreak. He added, "Our vaccine is particularly strong against the SARS-CoV-2 virus due to its unique targeting of three surface proteins instead of just one."
The same Israeli company previously worked on developing oral insulin pills, which help diabetes patients maintain their blood sugar levels without the need for injections.
