CureVac's mRNA Coronavirus Injection Offers Refrigerated Storage Advantages

Early efficacy figures for Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine are high, and NIAID Director Anthony Fauci said he hopes Moderna will provide similar data, but most of the new mRNA injections require stringent storage requirements, which add logistical hurdles to widespread adoption. In addition to the program CureVac is developing, CureVac is now reporting that its product candidates are stable at refrigerator temperatures for up to three months.

The CureVac injection, dubbed CVnCoV, can also remain at room temperature for up to 24 hours, further reducing the burden of vaccination efforts, according to the company.

The German biotech entered Phase 2a trials at the end of September and is "very encouraged by the emerging stability profile" of the vaccine candidate, Chief Production Officer Florian von der Mülbe said in a statement. He added that the information "has both the potential for decentralized storage and the potential to significantly facilitate mass vaccination efforts during the current pandemic."

Other vaccines in the new mRNA class, such as Pfizer's and Moderna's vaccine candidates, must be kept at sub-zero temperatures. Pfizer's injections need to be stored in a cold environment of -94 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Celsius) and can only be kept at a refrigerated temperature of 35.6 to 46.4 degrees Fahrenheit for about 24 hours. Despite the challenges, the company has an ambitious plan.

Chief scientist Mikael Dolsten told Business Insider that Pfizer is aware of the logistical challenges of its candidates and is working on a powdered formulation that it expects to launch next year.

Pfizer reported this week that the two-dose regimen was more than 90 percent effective in an early phase 3 analysis. Questions remain about the safety of the vaccine, the durability of protection and its impact in different patient populations.