BURLINGTON, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Rapid Dose Therapeutics Corp. (“RDT” or the “Company”) (CSE: DOSE) and McMaster University (“McMaster”) are reporting a preliminary, yet significant milestone in the investigation of an orally delivered vaccine candidate for COVID-19. Today’s report follows the announcement made on July 20, 2021 regarding the acceleration of the study as endpoints were met more rapidly than initially planned.
The McMaster University research team led by Dr. Alex Adronov and Dr. Mark Larché have completed the first stage of the current research project and report two critical findings:
- Manufacturing process: The RDT QuickStrip™ delivery system containing a SARS-CoV-2 spike protein was manufactured above 37 degrees Celsius, which provides a key breakthrough for the production process.
- Immune response: The RDT QuickStrip containing a SARS-CoV-2 spike protein successfully elicited a statistically significant immune response in animal subjects involved in the first stage of investigation.
“Eliciting an immune response in our test subjects is a significant milestone achieved in this pre-clinical research, bringing us a step closer to showing the viability of a mucosal vaccination route for protection from mucosal pathogens, such as SARS-CoV-2,” said Dr. Mark Larché, head immunologist on the project. “While these results are preliminary, we have achieved statistical significance and expect this work will continue to show great promise as we move toward a viable COVID-19 vaccine leveraging the QuickStrip technology.”
Polymer expert Dr. Alex Adronov added, “Now that we have evidence of antibody production in response to buccal administration of a spike-loaded QuickStrip, our next milestone will be to optimize the formulation to enhance the immune response to SARS-CoV-2.”
Previous QuickStrip COVID-19 Research Program Milestones:
- The RDT QuickStrip technology is effective at delivering other proteins through the buccal or sublingual route to elicit an immune response.
- Non-SARS-CoV-2 proteins incorporated within the QuickStrip remained stable at 40 degrees Celsius demonstrating manufacturing stability.
- Successfully refined and optimized the formulations incorporating the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein into the RDT QuickStrip matrix.
“We are very pleased with the successes realized to date with this important research endeavour including the ability to manufacture the spike protein infused QuickStrip at a high temperature and we are actively exploring pharmaceutical partnerships to continue to validate oral delivery of vaccines,” said Mark Upsdell, CEO, Rapid Dose Therapeutics. “Our innovative technology and strong scientific partnerships with institutions in Canada and abroad have led us to this important milestone and positions us well for the future.”
The Company is not making any express or implied claims that its product has the ability to eliminate, cure or contain COVID-19 at this time.
About Rapid Dose Therapeutics Corp.
Rapid Dose Therapeutics is a Canadian biotechnology company revolutionizing drug delivery through innovation. The Company’s flagship product QuickStrip™ is a thin, orally dissolvable film, that can be infused with an infinite list of active ingredients (nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, vaccines, cannabis) that are delivered quickly into the bloodstream resulting in rapid onset of the active ingredient.
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:
Certain information in this news release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Any statements that are contained in this news release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as “may”, “should”, “anticipate”, “expect”, “potential”, “believe”, “intend”, “will”, “could”, “are planned to”, “are expected to” or the negative of these terms and similar expressions. Statements containing forward-looking information, including, without limitation, in respect of the delivery of equipment and products using the QuickStrip™ product delivery method, the generation of recurring revenues, as at the date of this news release, the plans, estimates, forecasts, projections, expectations or beliefs of RDT management as to future events or results and are believed to be reasonable based on information currently available to RDT management. Forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks, including, without limitation, risks associated with general economic conditions; adverse industry events; marketing costs; loss of markets; termination of WLM agreements; future legislative and regulatory developments involving cannabis; inability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, and/or inability to access sufficient capital on favourable terms; the cannabis industry in Canada generally, income tax and regulatory matters; the ability to implement its business strategies; competition; currency and interest rate fluctuations and other risks. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive. There can be no assurance that statements of forward-looking information, although considered reasonable by RDT management at the time of preparation, will prove to be accurate as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are based will occur. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.
