Supply system of some COVID vaccines serves as mannequin
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A group of college and trade researchers is growing new formulations and manufacturing processes for the messenger RNA (mRNA) supply programs utilized in some COVID vaccines.
The mRNA-based vaccines that got here out through the COVID-19 pandemic required storage at subzero temperatures.
“They have been shipped world wide as a chunk of ice, slightly frozen vial. That wasn’t ideally suited from a provide chain perspective, from a stability of products perspective, from a storage perspective,” mentioned Kurt Ristroph, assistant professor of agricultural and biological engineering at Purdue College.
A detailed-up of freeze-dried RNA nanoparticles. Purdue College’s Kurt Ristroph leads a group of researchers working to enhance messenger RNA nanoparticle supply programs that might be utilized to a wide range of therapeutic makes use of. (Purdue Agricultural Communications picture/Tom Campbell)
Download image
Analysis group members Ristroph and Robert Prud’homme of Princeton College each have experience in making lipid nanoparticles and processing them into shelf-stable formulations.
Prud’homme’s lab developed the mixing technology used to fabricate the lipid nanoparticles used within the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine. Serán BioScience LLC, a contract manufacturing group headquartered in Oregon, will present course of growth and manufacturing assist. The work is funded by a three-year, $2.7 million contract from the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration to Purdue, Princeton and Serán.
“We care about making a course of that’s massive scale and operates constantly at massive scale moderately than being a batch-to-batch course of,” Ristroph mentioned.
The researchers are utilizing the COVID vaccine as its mannequin, however their strategies ought to be relevant to mRNA lipid nanoparticles designed for different therapeutic makes use of. The Moderna and Pfizer COVID vaccines have been the primary to make use of lipid nanoparticles to ship mRNA, however difficulties with storage and stability have slowed bringing new therapies based mostly on the biotechnology to market.
Extra helpful can be growing a liquid that might be saved at fridge temperatures of 4-6 levels Celsius (about 39-43 levels Fahrenheit).
“We’re involved concerning the stability of the mRNA that’s inside frozen or liquid formulations,” Ristroph mentioned. “mRNA is a really fragile molecule. It is going to have a tendency to interrupt down. You additionally need to be sure that your nanoparticles themselves keep secure. It’s good to make sure that what you’re placing into someone’s arm is similar as what you manufactured within the first place.”
Purdue College postdoctoral scientist Shivendra Tenguria, at left, and Kurt Ristroph, assistant professor in agricultural and organic engineering. Ristroph factors to a tray of freeze-dried nanoparticles in his laboratory. (Purdue Agricultural Communications picture/Tom Campbell)
Download image
These stability concerns are key points of any formulation enhancements and inspire pharmaceutical trade efforts to hunt a technique for drying nanoparticles right into a powder that has longer-lasting stability than both frozen or liquid formulations.
“These nanoparticles are little balls of lipids. They’re colloids. They’re suspended in water, not dissolved,” Ristroph mentioned. “When you can develop an excellent, scalable course of to dry them out and nonetheless have nanoparticles while you add water again, we predict that might assist with total product stability.
“A course of to get to a dry powder that may be saved at room temperature can be terrific. However failing that, a dry powder that might be saved within the fridge or the freezer at lower than minus 80 levels Celsius can be higher than the primary technology of merchandise.”
Author: Steve Koppes
Media contact: Maureen Manier, mmanier@purdue.edu.
Supply: Kurt Ristroph, ristroph@purdue.edu.
Agricultural Communications: 765-494-8415;
Maureen Manier, Division Head, mmanier@purdue.edu
