2 universities set up Finnish COVID vaccine producer

Rokote Laboratories Finland Ltd. is a newly-founded Finnish academic spin-out working to develop and introduce to the markets a nasal spray vaccine against COVID.

The vaccine is based on research carried out at the University of Helsinki and the University of Eastern Finland, said the University of Helsinki in a press release on Monday.

The founders and board members of the company are the vaccine developers Academy Professor Seppo Ylä-Herttuala from the University of Eastern Finland, Professor Kalle Saksela and Professor Kari Alitalo from the University of Helsinki, and Pasi Kemppainen, MSc (Techn.).

The University of Helsinki and the University of Eastern Finland are also co-founders of and shareholders in the company.

The vaccine is based on gene-transfer technology developed by Ylä-Herttuala’s research group and the technology has already been successfully used in several clinical trials using gene therapy to treat cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

The vaccine uses a safe adenovirus carrier that contains a cloned DNA strand, which causes nasopharyngeal cells to produce the virus protein which, in turn, produces a response to the vaccine. There is no actual SARS-CoV-2 virus in the vaccine.

Preliminary results show that the vaccine has performed well in animal studies, and clinical testing in humans will start within a few months.

According to Kemppainen, the company is now negotiating on funding to ensure further development of the vaccine and its moving towards clinical trials. After being granted a marketing authorisation, the vaccine could ensure Finnish and European security of supply of vaccine and its self-sufficiency.

In Kuopio, there is already the commercial technology needed to produce the vaccine.