A vaccine that can survive without refrigeration may be a game-changer
In the world of vaccines there is something called the cold chain. It refers to the need to keep doses cool and at a stable temperature if they are not to lose their potency. That means refrigerated storage and transport at all stages, often in inhospitable parts of the world where power is unreliable and fridges scarce. Freeing vaccines from the tyranny of refrigeration would be a game-changer. Fewer doses would be lost through heat degradation and the challenges of distribution in remote corners of the planet would be greatly eased.
Good news, then, that British researchers have come up with a vaccine that is happy at room temperature. A tetanus-diphtheria vaccine developed by the biotech company Stablepharma with help from the government is reported
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Times
29-04-2025
- Times
A vaccine that can survive without refrigeration may be a game-changer
In the world of vaccines there is something called the cold chain. It refers to the need to keep doses cool and at a stable temperature if they are not to lose their potency. That means refrigerated storage and transport at all stages, often in inhospitable parts of the world where power is unreliable and fridges scarce. Freeing vaccines from the tyranny of refrigeration would be a game-changer. Fewer doses would be lost through heat degradation and the challenges of distribution in remote corners of the planet would be greatly eased. Good news, then, that British researchers have come up with a vaccine that is happy at room temperature. A tetanus-diphtheria vaccine developed by the biotech company Stablepharma with help from the government is reported
Times
29-04-2025
- Times
‘Revolutionary' fridge-free vaccines to be trialled in UK
British scientists have launched the world's first trial of a vaccine that does not need to be kept in the fridge, using revolutionary technology that is set to be a 'global lifesaver'. At present vaccines need to be refrigerated or frozen, and this 'cold chain' is a huge barrier to getting people vaccinated in developing countries — meaning that about half of all vaccines are thrown away each year. The UK biotech firm Stablepharma has developed new technology, backed by the government, which converts existing vaccines to fridge-free versions that are 'thermostable' and can be stored for long periods at room temperature. One of their vaccines, the Stablepharma tetanus-diphtheria vaccine (SPVX02), is now being tested on humans in a clinical trial at University Hospital Southampton.
Times
28-04-2025
- Times
Ultra-processed foods ‘contribute to 18,000 early deaths a year'
Thousands of middle-aged people in Britain are dying prematurely every year as a result of ultra-processed foods, a study has suggested. Researchers analysed the diets of eight countries then estimated the number of deaths linked to an over-reliance on foods such as ready meals, confectionery, fizzy drinks and processed meat. The study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, said that about 18,000 deaths in people aged 30 to 69 could be prevented each year in Britain if people ate less ultra-processed foods (UPFs). The term refers to mass-produced foods with multiple ingredients and additives that could not be created in a home kitchen. UPFs make up more than half of the typical British diet. Diets high in UPF have been linked to an
