‘DuoChol: A low-cost, thermostable dry formulation whole-cell / B-subunit enterocoated capsule oral cholera vaccine.’

Our vision is to develop a novel, much improved oral cholera vaccine (OCV) which will substantially contribute to achieving WHO´s stated goals to reduce cholera deaths by at least 90% and eliminate transmission of cholera in the majority of afflicted countries in the coming decade. The currently WHO prequalified OCVs – Dukoral™, Shanchol™ and Euvichol-Plus™ – are effective but have a complex composition with five components each, which limits the production capacity and adds to the manufacturing costs. They are all of them liquid vaccines in less than ideal formulations, and require a complete cold chain. The proposed OCV, Hillchol-B™ , is a thermostable, dry formulation enterocoated capsule vaccine having two rather than five active ingredients (formalin-killed single-strain Hikojima bacteria + cholera toxin B subunit) that can be produced at low cost. Its thermostability, ease of production, practical formulation, affordable cost, and increased efficacy compared to current OCVs should make Hillchol-B™ to a highly attractive vaccine for use in national control programs of endemic cholera and the ideal OCV for use in cholera outbreaks where maximal short-term efficacy is of essence.