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Israeli Company Claims it is Developing World’s First Oral COVID-19 Vaccine

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JERUSALEM, Israel – An Israeli-American pharmaceutical company claims it is working on a coronavirus vaccine that can be taken at home in the form of an oral pill.

Oramed Pharmaceuticals Inc., an Israeli company, announced over the weekend it is partnering with Premas Biotech to develop the world’s first oral coronavirus vaccine through their new company “Oravax Medical.”

The vaccine is “based on Oramed's proprietary POD™ oral delivery technology” and Premas Biotech’s “novel vaccine technology,” the company said in a statement.

The Oravax vaccine is designed to target three structural proteins on the virus, instead of the single spike protein targeted by Pfizer and Moderna. This could make the vaccine more effective in protecting against virus strains, the company claims.

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Unlike the current COVID-19 vaccines, Oravax’s oral vaccine would not need to be stored at below-freezing temperatures, making its distribution and accessibility easier.

A pilot study of the vaccine found that the oral COVID-19 vaccine promoted the production of antibodies in rats.

"An oral COVID-19 vaccine would eliminate several barriers to rapid, widescale distribution, potentially enabling people to take the vaccine themselves at home,” said Nadav Kidron, CEO of Oramed.

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“While ease of administration is critical today to accelerate inoculation rates, an oral vaccine could become even more valuable in the case that a COVID-19 vaccine may be recommended annually like the standard flu shot.”

Oravax is preparing to begin a clinical study during the second quarter of 2021.

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About The Author

Emily
Jones

Emily Jones is a multi-media journalist for CBN News in Jerusalem. Before she moved to the Middle East in 2019, she spent years regularly traveling to the region to study the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, meet with government officials, and raise awareness about Christian persecution. During her college years, Emily served as president of Regent University's Christians United for Israel chapter and spoke alongside world leaders at numerous conferences and events. She is an active member of the Philos Project, an organization that seeks to promote positive Christian engagement with the Middle