Temperature concerns could slow the r ollout of new ......Temperature concerns could slow the r...
Transcript of Temperature concerns could slow the r ollout of new ......Temperature concerns could slow the r...
12/5/2020 Temperature concerns could slow the rollout of new coronavirus vaccines | Science | AAAS
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/11/temperature-concerns-could-slow-rollout-new-coronavirus-vaccines?utm_source=Nature+Briefing&utm_c… 1/10
Read our COVID-19 research and news.
1
Arktek containers, which kept Ebola vaccines at –80°C in sub-Saharan Africa, could be used to transport COVID-19vaccines that require similar temperatures. WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION/S. HAWKEY
Temperature concerns could slow the rollout of new coronavirus vaccinesBy Jocelyn Kaiser Nov. 16, 2020 , 5:55 PM
Science’s COVID-19 reporting is supported by the Pulitzer Center and the Heising-SimonsFoundation.
Advertisement
Become a Member Log In ScienceMag.org
12/5/2020 Temperature concerns could slow the rollout of new coronavirus vaccines | Science | AAAS
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/11/temperature-concerns-could-slow-rollout-new-coronavirus-vaccines?utm_source=Nature+Briefing&utm_c… 2/10
Today’s dramatic news that Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine might work as well as one made by P�zerand BioNTech means the world could have two powerful weapons to �ght the COVID-19 pandemic.Now, the next hot vaccine topic is, well, heat. Both vaccines use a novel technology—strands ofmessenger RNA (mRNA), held within lipid particles—that is vulnerable to degradation at roomtemperature and requires doses to be frozen for transportation, then thawed for use.
That’s where the Moderna vaccine may have an edge: Unlike P�zer’s and BioNTech’s offering, it doesnot have to be stored at –70°C, but can tolerate a much warmer –20°C, which is standard for mosthospital and pharmacy freezers. That difference means Moderna’s vaccine should be easier todistribute and store, particularly in the rural United States and developing countries that lackultracold freezers. Moderna says years of development work enabled its vaccine to be stored athigher temperatures, but last week another mRNA vaccine company announced it is testing aCOVID-19 vaccine that early studies suggest can survive at the even warmer temperatures of 2°C to8°C found in refrigerators.
Related‘Just beautiful’: Another COVID-19 vaccine, from newcomer Moderna, succeeds in large-scale trial
Russia’s claim of a successful COVID-19 vaccine doesn’t pass the ‘smell test,’ critics say
Champagne and questions greet �rst data showing that a COVID-19 vaccine works
See all of our coverage of the coronavirus outbreak
Many types of vaccines must be stored and transported frozen, via a cold supply chain. Publichealth o�cials have even found ways to keep a vaccine ultracold, between –60°C to –80°C, inplaces like sub-Saharan Africa. There, for the past 5 years, a high-tech thermos called Arktek hashelped distribute Ebola vaccines that must be kept ultracold. “In all likelihood, we’ll need a widerange of supply chain tools” to distribute COVID-19 vaccines, says Daniel Lieberman, a mechanicalengineer with Global Health Labs in Seattle, a nonpro�t created by the Bill & Melinda GatesFoundation and by the private o�ce of Bill Gates (who also funded Arktek’s development). Still,relying on an ultracold chain is expensive, and in some places it may make more sense to distributea vaccine that can tolerate warmer temperatures even if it’s less effective.
Become a Member Log In ScienceMag.org
12/5/2020 Temperature concerns could slow the rollout of new coronavirus vaccines | Science | AAAS
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/11/temperature-concerns-could-slow-rollout-new-coronavirus-vaccines?utm_source=Nature+Briefing&utm_c… 3/10
Both the Moderna and P�zer/BioNTech vaccines give the body’s cells an mRNA template for makingthe spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The protein then moves to thecell’s surface and triggers an immune response. This mRNA is relatively fragile compared with theproteins or protein fragments that often make up conventional vaccines, and it cleaves easily atroom temperature, says Alana Gerhardt, who studies vaccine product development at the nonpro�tInfectious Disease Research Institute (IDRI) in Seattle. Also, enzymes called ribonucleases thatchew up mRNAs “are everywhere, even in the controlled environment of the lab,” from sources suchas lab workers’ breath and skin, Gerhardt says.
The companies give the mRNA some protection during production and storage by inserting it into acarrier, a fatlike substance called a lipid nanoparticle. The lipid also shields the mRNA fromenzymes in the blood once it has been injected. But the nanoparticle is deliberately designed toslowly degrade, so it won’t build up in the liver and cause harm, says Massachusetts Institute ofTechnology geneticist and chemical engineer Daniel Anderson.
V. ALTOUNIAN/SCIENCE
Although the companies’ exact formulations are proprietary, P�zer and BioNTech have so far saidtheir vaccine has to be kept ultracold. But Barney Graham, a vaccine researcher at the U.S. NationalInstitute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases who designed the mRNA used by both Moderna andP�zer/BioNTech, says the temperature requirements are actually unclear. P�zer and BioNtechstarted with –70°C when they �rst asked regulators to test their vaccine in humans, and Graham
Some don’t like it hotVarious vaccine types have different temperature requirements for storage and transport. The new messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines, which wrap lipids around a snippet of genetic material that encodes a protein, degrade at room temperature and need to be frozen, some at ultracold temperatures. The COVID-19 vaccine versions deliver into cells an mRNA that makes a coronavirus protein, stimulating immunity.
SARS-CoV-2 spike protein
Presented to stimulate immune response
Lipid nanoparticle containing mRNA
Ribosome
mRNA
Become a Member Log In ScienceMag.org
12/5/2020 Temperature concerns could slow the rollout of new coronavirus vaccines | Science | AAAS
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/11/temperature-concerns-could-slow-rollout-new-coronavirus-vaccines?utm_source=Nature+Briefing&utm_c… 4/10
says the companies might ultimately be able to document that the mRNA survives warmertemperatures.
In the meantime, at sites in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and Puurs, Belgium, P�zer will pack shipmentsof 200 to 1000 vials each containing �ve doses in insulated boxes with thermal sensors on dry iceto provide the necessary chill. Pharmacies and doctor’s o�ces that lack $15,000 ultracold freezerscan store it in the thermal box for about 2 weeks by re�lling the dry ice every 5 days; once removed,the vaccine can be refrigerated for 5 days. Moderna’s vaccine, however, is stable for 6 months at –20°C, or in a standard freezer, and the company announced today its product can be kept at normalrefrigerator temperatures for up to 30 days, longer than the 7 days initially expected.
The German company CureVac is lagging behind in the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine race, butannounced last week that its candidate is stable for 3 months at 5°C. Unlike the Moderna andP�zer/BioNTech vaccines, CureVac’s mRNA does not have a modi�cation to one of its four buildingblocks, a nucleoside called uridine, which the company says allows it to pack more tightly inside thenanoparticle. “Our hypothesis is that the more compact the mRNA is, the less susceptible it is todegradation,” CureVac spokesperson Sarah Fakih says. The company expects to launch a 30,000-person trial to test the vaccine’s e�cacy by the end of this year.
Even a vaccine shipped and stored at –20°C, like Moderna’s, poses challenges in developingcountries, where electricity for freezers can be unreliable and dry ice scarce. But frozen vaccinesdon’t have to be a deal breaker, as shown by the Ebola vaccine, which has been shipped in Arktekcontainers to different sites in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to vaccinate about 400,000people. Ultracold freezers in large cities were still needed to store the vaccine before it wasdistributed and to chill the cold packs used to keep Arkteks cooled, notes Prashant Yadav of theCenter for Global Development. That meant there remained a requirement for reliable electricity withbackup sources. “The key thing is to have a cold chain primary storage point,” Yadav says.
The Arkteks are expensive—about $2000 each—but they’re reusable and can keep vaccines and dryice or alcohol or salt-based cold packs chilled for much longer than an insulated box, Liebermannotes. “I see the Arktek being valuable anywhere where you want the vaccines to stay cold for daysor weeks without a freezer,” Lieberman says. The Gates Foundation’s global delivery program isreadying to ramp up production of the Arktek by the Chinese company that makes it, if needed forCOVID-19 vaccines, Global Health Labs says.
Another option is to freeze-dry the mRNA vaccines; they would then be reconstituted with water atthe delivery point. (Other vaccines already do this.) P�zer says it is working on a such a powderizedform of its vaccine. Regulators would likely require evidence to show the reconstituted vaccineworks as well as the liquid vaccine, says IDRI’s Corey Casper.
Several other COVID-19 vaccines now in e�cacy trials won’t require freezer storage either. If theywork as well as the mRNA vaccines, there will be no need for a –20°C or –70°C cold chain inresource-restrained settings, Yadav says. But if these vaccines aren’t as effective—say only 70%,
Become a Member Log In ScienceMag.org
12/5/2020 Temperature concerns could slow the rollout of new coronavirus vaccines | Science | AAAS
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/11/temperature-concerns-could-slow-rollout-new-coronavirus-vaccines?utm_source=Nature+Briefing&utm_c… 5/10
compared with 90% for an mRNA vaccine—Yadav says that might tip the scale toward deployingmRNA vaccines, despite the costs and challenges.
With reporting by Jon Cohen.
Posted in: Health, Coronavirusdoi:10.1126/science.abf7422
Jocelyn KaiserJocelyn is a staff writer for Science magazine.
Email Jocelyn
More from NewsCRISPR and another genetic strategy �x cell defects in two common blood disorders
First-of-its-kind African trial tests common drugs to prevent severe COVID-19
‘Malicious and misconceived.’ Indian vaccine producer hits back at complaint from trial volunteer
Science's extensive COVID-19 coverage is free to all readers. To support our nonpro�t sciencejournalism, please make a tax-deductible gift today.
Got a tip?
How to contact the news team
Advertisement
Become a Member Log In ScienceMag.org
12/5/2020 Temperature concerns could slow the rollout of new coronavirus vaccines | Science | AAAS
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/11/temperature-concerns-could-slow-rollout-new-coronavirus-vaccines?utm_source=Nature+Briefing&utm_c… 6/10
Advertisement
Become a Member Log In ScienceMag.org
12/5/2020 Temperature concerns could slow the rollout of new coronavirus vaccines | Science | AAAS
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/11/temperature-concerns-could-slow-rollout-new-coronavirus-vaccines?utm_source=Nature+Briefing&utm_c… 7/10
Latest News
Related Jobs
MORE JOBS ▶
Assistant/Associate Professor ofCellular Biology and AnatomyLSUHSC-School of Medicine-Shreveport-LAShreveport, Louisiana
Therapeutic SpecialistGilead Sciences, Inc.Foster City
Budget AdministratorCity of HopeMonrovia, California
Trending1. More people are getting COVID-19 twice, suggesting immunity wanes quickly in some
2. Fever, aches from P�zer, Moderna jabs aren’t dangerous but may be intense for some
3. How big is the average penis?
4. CRISPR and another genetic strategy �x cell defects in two common blood disorders
5. Arecibo telescope collapses, ending 57-year run
Most Read1. ‘Absolutely remarkable’: No one who got Moderna’s vaccine in trial developed severe COVID-19
2. Arecibo telescope collapses, ending 57-year run
3. More people are getting COVID-19 twice, suggesting immunity wanes quickly in some
4. ‘The game has changed.’ AI triumphs at solving protein structures
Become a Member Log In ScienceMag.org
12/5/2020 Temperature concerns could slow the rollout of new coronavirus vaccines | Science | AAAS
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/11/temperature-concerns-could-slow-rollout-new-coronavirus-vaccines?utm_source=Nature+Briefing&utm_c… 8/10
SifterThese shrews can shrink and regrow their brains
By Lucy Hicks Dec. 4, 2020
Space is �lled with unexplained light
By Lucy Hicks Nov. 19, 2020
Breast milk contains coronavirus antibodies, study suggests
By Lucy Hicks Nov. 19, 2020
Hurricanes are retaining their strength after reaching land, study suggests
By Lucy Hicks Nov. 11, 2020
Injection of long-acting drug prevents HIV in women
By Lucy Hicks Nov. 9, 2020
More Sifter
Read the Latest Issue of Science
4 December 2020
Vol 370, Issue 6521
SCIENCE AND POLICY
Saving sanctuaries
IMMUNOLOGY
Amid the cheering, some vaccines face questions
EPIDEMIOLOGY
New challenges emerge for planned human challenge trials
MEDICINE/DISEASES
5. Fever, aches from P�zer, Moderna jabs aren’t dangerous but may be intense for someBecome a Member Log In ScienceMag.org
12/5/2020 Temperature concerns could slow the rollout of new coronavirus vaccines | Science | AAAS
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/11/temperature-concerns-could-slow-rollout-new-coronavirus-vaccines?utm_source=Nature+Briefing&utm_c… 9/10
Federal hospital data system falters at tracking pandemic
GENETICS
How cats get their stripes and spots
EUROPEAN NEWS
Scientists fear no-deal Brexit as deadline looms
Get Our E-AlertsReceive emails from Science. See full list
Science Table of Contents
Science Daily News
Weekly News Roundup
Science Editor's Choice
First Release Noti�cation
Science Careers Job Seeker
Belgium
Email address*
I also wish to receive emails from AAAS/Science and Science advertisers, including information on products, services, and special offers which may include but are not limited to news, career information, & upcoming events.
Required �elds are indicated by an asterisk (*)
Table of Contents
Sign up today
✓✓✓✓✓✓
About UsJournalsNews from ScienceLeadershipTeam MembersWork at AAAS
For Advertisers
Become a Member Log In ScienceMag.org
12/5/2020 Temperature concerns could slow the rollout of new coronavirus vaccines | Science | AAAS
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/11/temperature-concerns-could-slow-rollout-new-coronavirus-vaccines?utm_source=Nature+Briefing&utm_… 10/10
© 2020 American Association for the Advancement of Science. All rights Reserved. AAAS is a partner of HINARI, AGORA,OARE, CHORUS, CLOCKSS, CrossRef and COUNTER.
Terms of Service
Privacy PolicyContact AAAS
Advertising KitsAwards and PrizesCustom PublishingWebinars
For AuthorsSubmitInformation for AuthorsEditorial Policies
For LibrariansManage Your Institutional SubscriptionInformation for LibrariansRequest a QuoteFAQs
Related SitesAAAS.orgEurekAlert!Science in the ClassroomScience Magazine Japanese
HelpAccess and SubscriptionsOrder a Single IssueReprints and PermissionsContact UsAccessibility
Become a Member Log In ScienceMag.org