Eradicating Hepatitis B with the Mucosal Vaccine

Even with the existence of effective vaccinations, hepatitis B continues to kill more than a million people each year. Traditional injected vaccines present challenges which are particularly cumbersome in developing nations, including the need for a supply of sterile needles, constant refrigeration, and three separate treatments. Such obstacles may soon be a thing of the past, according to a new study on a nasal hepatitis B vaccine which require no needles, refrigeration, or multiple doses. But is it effective? In a word, Yes. The mucosal vaccine triggered an astounding protective response in animals roughly 450 times greater than that of currently approved vaccines, producing three distinct types of immunity–mucosal, cellular and systemic.

Mucosal vaccines are delivered directly to the lining of the nose where immune cells recognize the foreign antigen, causing rapid stimulation of the immune system, and do not involve the inflammatory chemicals used in injected vaccines. “We have developed a new vaccine that is extremely safe, easy to administer, and which rapidly builds protection against hepatitis B infection,” said Dr. James R. Baker Jr., founder of NanoBio Corp, which has exclusive rights to commercialize the new vaccine technology. Human testing of the hepatitis B vaccine is being planned for next year, and this is just the tip of the iceberg for the future of NanoBio’s extensive mucosal vaccine development program. “The same vaccine platform has also been shown to elicit significant immune responses in animal studies with influenza, anthrax, smallpox, RSV and HIV.”