Allocate 10 million USD to fund the development of a vaccine for drug addiction prevention

A startup has successfully raised $10 million in funding to develop the Ovax vaccine, which aims to prevent intoxication and drug addiction caused by the highly addictive painkiller fentanyl. The vaccine, developed by a research team at the University of Houston, is designed to prevent fentanyl from entering the brain and eliminating the feeling of drug intoxication. With the new investment, Ovax is set to enter clinical trials in early 2025, with hopes of contributing to preventing relapse and aiding those suffering from drug addiction or overdose.

In addition to collaboration with the University of Houston, the company is also in discussions with several other research groups working on methods to block the effects of opioids, with the goal of commercializing their scientific work. The Ovax vaccine, which was announced in November 2022 and initially funded by the US government with over $760,000 for research, has shown promising results in animal testing, reducing dependence on potentially addictive opioid painkillers without causing serious side effects.

Specific anti-fentanyl antibodies in the vaccine help prevent euphoria and increase alertness after fentanyl use, without cross-reacting with other opioids. Individuals injected with Ovax can still be treated with other opioids like morphine for pain relief. Fentanyl, a powerful and inexpensive synthetic opioid often added to illegal drugs, is significantly more potent than heroin and morphine, with a dose equivalent to five grains of salt capable of causing death.

In the United States, the opioid crisis has been escalating since 2021, with over 100,000 deaths from opioid overdoses reported in 2021. Fentanyl poisoning is the most common cause of death among individuals aged 18-45, and synthetic opioids containing fentanyl are expected to result in an average of 204 deaths daily in 2023. US officials have allocated millions in funding for research on monoclonal antibodies targeting fentanyl, and the FDA has approved clinical trials for a vaccine targeting oxycodone, another narcotic painkiller.

Despite years of research, no successful method has been developed and commercialized due to high research costs and the rapid emergence of new synthetic drugs. Changing the drug use habits of addicts also poses a significant challenge.