Gurugram-based Premas Biotech has signed a licensing deal with Oravax Medical for the development and commercialisation in India, of its virus-like-particle COVID-19 vaccine technology.

Oravax Medical is a joint venture between Israel-based Oramed Pharmaceuticals and Premas Biotech. Oravax brings together a virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine technology, developed by Premas Biotech with Oramed’s proprietary protein oral delivery (POD) technology in the development of oral vaccines that are now only available via injection.

As Oravax maintains its focus on oral vaccines, it has licensed to Premas the right to develop an injectable version of its VLP technology to address the urgent need for a vaccine which is effective against the Delta variant.

Dr Prabuddha Kundu, Co-founder and MD, Premas Biotech said, “We are proud to have designed and developed an innovative vaccine technology, here in India. Our technology is based on our difficult-to-express proteins platform, D-Crypt, and we believe it has multi-dimensional advantages over other existing technologies."

Premas plans to manufacture, test, and potentially commercialize the injectable version of the VLP vaccine in India.

Oravax is gearing up to commence clinical trials for its oral COVID-19 vaccine, first in Israel, then in additional clinical sites internationally.