Promising Results Pave the Way to Inhaled TB Vaccine

Chapel Hill, NC (Mar. 14)-Scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill successfully tested a new inhaled tuberculosis (TB) vaccine. The drug was a Bacillus Calmet-Guerin (BCG) vaccine, which is used worldwide to protect more than 100 million infants annually.

Led by Tony Hickey, PhD, the research team developed a dry-powder formulation for inhalation that they report is just as effective as the traditional vaccine. Because the drug is made using spray drying instead of freeze-drying, the powder does not require refrigeration or clean water for reconstitution, which is an advantage in developing countries.

In a university press release, Hickey states that “breathing in a TB vaccine is beneficial because inhalation is the way tuberculosis is contracted.” In addition, he notes, “The results of this study are very exciting because there are other bacterial vaccines being developed that might benefit from this technology.”