Soligenix, Inc. COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate, CiVax, Could Be a More Viable Alternative to Moderna and Pfizer

New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - December 9, 2020) -  The COVID-19 pandemic has been one of the most significant "black swan" events in recent history. As of early December 2020, around 1.5 million people globally have died from the coronavirus, including over 274,000 deaths in the United States. At the same time, millions of people have lost their jobs, businesses, and other income sources. The only way to truly recover from this pandemic is from widespread vaccination and continued adherence to social distancing, hand-washing, and other preventative measures.

Pfizer and Moderna are two of the most hyped companies that are developing coronavirus vaccines. Both vaccines are said to show effectiveness greater than 90% in protecting the individual from severe coronavirus symptoms.

However, with both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, there remain numerous safety and efficacy questions, as well as the looming logistical nightmare of storage. Soligenix, Inc. (NASDAQ: SNGX) is one company that is developing a coronavirus vaccine candidate that may have the answer to several of these issues.

Questions Surround Moderna & Pfizer Vaccines

Moderna and Pfizer are just a couple of biotechnology companies that are developing vaccines to help combat the pandemic. Their efforts and ability to churn out a viable vaccine in record time is extremely meaningful and an important milestone in medicine.

New Vaccine Technology

However, both companies are utilizing a new vaccine technology, which has not undergone long-term safety and efficacy testing. There has never been a vaccine approved using mRNA technology.

Using synthetic mRNA technology, the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines seek to activate an immune response against the coronavirus. Early clinical study data show that both vaccines have effectiveness above 90%. The important factor to understand is that these vaccines have effectiveness in preventing the vaccinated individual from experiencing severe COVID infection. However, it may not protect against that same vaccinated individual from still carrying and transmitting the virus to others. To make matters worse, those receiving mRNA-based vaccines will need two shots several weeks apart.

mRNA Vaccine Storage Logistical Nightmare

Another issue with these mRNA vaccines is that they must be kept at -94 degrees Fahrenheit or below and they do not have a long shelf-life once it is removed from its freezer storage. According to Time Magazine, the Pfizer vaccine can only last for roughly five days once they are removed from cold storage and placed into a standard refrigerator.

Even the most prestigious hospitals and healthcare organizations, such as the Mayo Clinic, do not currently have the storage ability to keep these vaccines at such a cold temperature. If the Mayo Clinic does not have the proper storage, count on your local pharmacy and clinics not having the right storage either. This is going to require massive cold storage upgrades that will carry a hefty cost.

Also consider that UPS, FedEx, and any other transportation companies tasked with shipping out the vaccines will have to upgrade their trucks and buy up large amounts of dry ice, which also happens to be in short supply right now.

The strict storage requirements almost certainly ensure that developing countries will likely not be able to utilize the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. According to the Borgen Project, 166 countries are considered part of the developing world, with 52 of those countries located in Africa. To defeat the pandemic, all countries will need to have access to the vaccine.

https://youtu.be/-fm3RCFAwxU

Soligenix's CiVax is Next-Gen Without the Logistical Headaches

Soligenix may not be receiving the same press attention as Pfizer or Moderna, but its COVID vaccine candidate is equally-if-not-more impressive. CiVax's potential is unappreciated when considering the vaccine can be kept at room temperature, may only require one shot, and is based on a vaccine technology that has a history of tested safety and efficacy.

CiVax is Subunit Vaccine Focused on Th1 Antibody Response

CiVax is a subunit vaccine and thus does not use a live or dead virus. Subunit vaccines are derived from the proteins or glycoproteins of a virus. These proteins are the key components in producing a protective immune response.

Subunit vaccine technology already has a history of safety and, unlike mRNA technology, has already been approved by the U.S. FDA. The hepatitis B vaccine was the first subunit vaccine to be approved within the United States.

"Subunit vaccines are considered to be promising candidates for developing immunizations against malaria, tetanus, human cytomegalovirus, Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis infections, and even the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2," according to News Medical.

However, do not assume that CiVax is the typical subunit vaccine. CiVax has shown an ability to stimulate Th1 antibody responses. Th1 antibodies have proven to be effective to treat SARS and MERS, two closely related viruses to COVID-19. Assuming the Th1 antibody responses can be consistently produced against the new novel coronavirus, it could be likely that CiVax has similar effectiveness as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.

CiVax Shows Antibody-Neutralizing and Cell Immunity Abilities in One Shot

CiVax is seemingly superior to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines because it has shown the ability to neutralize antibodies and produce cell immunity. Both of these factors are widely considered to be the key to developing a necessary and meaningful immune response.

Unlike the mRNA vaccines, CiVax showed these abilities after just one vaccination, rather than dealing with the need to obtain two shots over a specific period.

CiVax Can Be Stored At Room Temperature, Viable For Global Use

As discussed previously, the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines will seemingly only help developed countries that can upgrade cold storage capabilities. This means developing countries will be put at an extreme disadvantage.

With CiVax, there is no need for expensive cold storage upgrades. The vaccine is thermo-stabilized and thus can be stored at room temperature without losing potency. This makes CiVax far more viable not only for use in the developed world but also in the developing world.

Overall, a COVID-19 vaccine is required if the world is ever going to get back to any type of normality. However, the mRNA vaccines, such as those used in Pfizer's and Moderna's vaccines, seem to have lingering questions and concerns that will not be answered until it's too late. The long-term safety and potential efficacy issues will likely not be discovered until millions or even billions of people have already been vaccinated.

Soligenix's CiVax aims to provide a little more certainty and familiarity with the COVID vaccine arena. By using subunit vaccine technology with an established track record of safety and efficacy, CiVax could help provide ease to those that are concerned about the unknowns of the mRNA technology. The thermostabilized nature of CiVax is a win-win-win for patients, hospitals, and shippers, who will not have to rely on expensive cold storage upgrades, vaccine shelf-life, and potency worries. Also, the thermostabilized state of CiVax makes this a win for developing countries and thus gives life to the initiative of vaccinating the world against the COVID pandemic.

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