Premas Biotech has announced the successful completion of its vaccine prototype by obtaining transmission electron microscopic (TEM) images of the recombinant virus-like particle (VLP) assembled by using an exclusive D-Crypt technology, which employs the highly scalable and cost-effective baker’s yeast as a platform.

Marking a significant breakthrough in vaccine development efforts to combat the pandemic, the vaccine prototype is among the first in the world for VLP of SARS CoV-2 virus, the company said in a statement issued.

Prabuddha Kundu, Co-Founder and MD, Premas Biotech, said, “We are delighted to announce the three-protein VLP formation, as confirmed by TEM images and other orthogonal analysis that have captured the distinct structural features of the VLP. The vaccine candidate is based on three COVID-19 proteins — Spike, Envelope and Membrane. We believe that this combination of three proteins distinguishes us from other companies seeking to develop COVID-19 vaccines and makes the VLP promising as we work to proceed into pre-clinical trials.”

Premas Biotech and its US partner are collating the data of its findings, which will be submitted to the regulatory authorities in India and the US. Premas Biotech has already established a manufacturing protocol and initiated large-scale production studies for the vaccine candidate.

Dr Nupur Mehrotra, COO and Co-Founder, Premas Biotech, said “VLPs have set a precedent by proving to be a better technology for the development of vaccines for diseases like Hepatitis-B and HPV. We are, therefore, putting in all our efforts to develop a VLP-based vaccine for Covid-19, and look ahead to test its efficacy soon,” she said.

Based on its proprietary D-Crypt technology, developed in India over the past decade, Premas Biotech’s research methodology employs a genetically modified version of baker’s yeast, or Saccharomyces cerevisiae, to recombinantly produce the three antigens in a single host, thus making the vaccine candidate potentially safe and easy to manufacture on a mass scale cost-effectively, informs the company.