Los Angeles– Turn Therapeutics has announced a significant breakthrough that could reshape global vaccine distribution, especially in regions lacking reliable cold storage. The clinical-stage pharmaceutical and medical device company has successfully demonstrated 100% recovery of a live viral vaccine vector suspended in an oil-based carrier after 24 and 72 hours at room temperature.
Working in collaboration with the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), Turn validated a standardized assay confirming the full recovery of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), a common backbone in vaccine development. The virus was preserved without degradation or cytotoxicity, marking what the company calls the first known instance of a live virus being stably suspended in an oil-based medium and quantitatively recovered.
“This work could fundamentally change how humanity fights infectious disease,” said Turn Therapeutics CEO Bradley Burnam. “With our oil-based carrier and mixing platform, we may be able to deliver live vaccines intranasally without the need for deep freezing.”
VSV and similar lipid-enveloped vectors typically survive only a few hours without refrigeration. Turn’s success in maintaining viral viability for up to three days — even when the formulation was left uncovered — represents a major advancement in simplifying vaccine handling and access, particularly for low-resource or remote regions.
The testing produced consistent results across multiple dilution schemes, strengthening the case for reproducibility and scalability. No loss of viral integrity or harmful effects in host cell assays were observed, suggesting the carrier could be safe for eventual human use.
The next phase of research includes a multi-arm stability challenge to explore the limits of the carrier at both room and refrigerated temperatures. Turn and its partners will then begin in-vivo intranasal dosing studies aimed at developing a formulation for clinical use.
“We expected some degradation that could be offset through dosing,” Burnam said. “Instead, we saw complete recovery across the board. That changes everything.”
Burnam also emphasized the broader mission behind the innovation. “It’s an honor to work with IAVI in making vaccines accessible to some of the world’s most underserved communities,” he said.
Turn’s technology could offer a critical tool in global health, potentially enabling easier, more cost-effective distribution of live vaccines without the burden of cold-chain logistics.
