Concern over COVID-19 stems not only from its high degree of virulence, but from its ability to continuously mutate and produce new variants. An effective vaccine can help slow the virus’ spread, but the question of how to deal with its continuous mutations is key.
Mass production of the most well-known novel coronavirus vaccines in production, including by AstraZeneca PLC, Moderna Inc and Pfizer Inc, has a high technological threshold, especially for those using messenger RNA (mRNA) technology, since manufacturers need to overcome the challenges of storage and transportation at ultra-low temperatures.
Founded in 2018, Ascendo Biotechnology Inc (先知生技) has a research and development team with 30 years of clinical drug research experience, focused on immune-related drug research.
Photo courtesy of Ascendo Biotechnology Inc
Using quantum mechanics technologies, Ascendo has developed a proprietary NanoCherubTM electric-kinetic nanocomplex antigen adjuvant and delivery platform, designed to rapidly respond to mutations without the challenges of ultra-low temperature storage and transportation, and to produce large quantities of vaccines quickly
‧ NanoCherubTM in the fight against COVID-19
Doctors and scientists have been racking their brains for a solution to the constantly mutating virus. Using quantum mechanics calculations, Ascendo can produce effective vaccines quickly, with a precise and flexible technology circumventing the need for the constant testing of more traditional approaches.
Last year, Ascendo started working with academic research institutions in Taiwan on developing a COVID-19 vaccine, for the first time using quantum mechanics technology to design a drug delivery system encapsulating antigens to form a positively charged nanocomplex, enabling immune cells to generate a strong and effective response to the NanoCherubTM Electric-Kinetic nanocomplex and achieving a balanced and robust Th1/Th2 immunity.
The ASD254 vaccine developed by Ascendo last year showed excellent results in animal studies using mice, which most closely replicate the symptoms of the novel coronavirus in humans.
All vaccinated animals received 100 percent immune protection when tested with the live virus. Ascendo soon plans to apply to the Food and Drug Administration for phase 1 human trials, hoping to enter mass production next year.
The drug delivery platform can significantly shorten development times and respond to virus mutations, and the NanoCherubTM Electric-Kinetic nanocomplex can consistently induce balanced and strong Th1/Th2 immunity against encapsulated antigens, including full pathogens, subunit proteins, peptides and messenger ribonucleic acid, with the added advantage of the vaccines only needing to be stored at 2°C to 8°C.
‧ Hepatitis B therapeutic vaccine completed in animal efficacy trials
Ascendo has also completed animal efficacy trials for its ASD253 vaccine for chronic hepatitis B. Following preclinical trials, Phase 1 human trials are to begin next year, when ASD253 is expected to become the world’s first vaccine for chronic hepatitis B.
The company also hopes to develop vaccines for HIV (AIDS), dengue fever, Zika and pan-influenza viruses.
JITTERS: Nexperia has a 20 percent market share for chips powering simpler features such as window controls, and changing supply chains could take years European carmakers are looking into ways to scratch components made with parts from China, spooked by deepening geopolitical spats playing out through chipmaker Nexperia BV and Beijing’s export controls on rare earths. To protect operations from trade ructions, several automakers are pushing major suppliers to find permanent alternatives to Chinese semiconductors, people familiar with the matter said. The industry is considering broader changes to its supply chain to adapt to shifting geopolitics, Europe’s main suppliers lobby CLEPA head Matthias Zink said. “We had some indications already — questions like: ‘How can you supply me without this dependency on China?’” Zink, who also
The number of Taiwanese working in the US rose to a record high of 137,000 last year, driven largely by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC, 台積電) rapid overseas expansion, according to government data released yesterday. A total of 666,000 Taiwanese nationals were employed abroad last year, an increase of 45,000 from 2023 and the highest level since the COVID-19 pandemic, data from the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) showed. Overseas employment had steadily increased between 2009 and 2019, peaking at 739,000, before plunging to 319,000 in 2021 amid US-China trade tensions, global supply chain shifts, reshoring by Taiwanese companies and
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) received about NT$147 billion (US$4.71 billion) in subsidies from the US, Japanese, German and Chinese governments over the past two years for its global expansion. Financial data compiled by the world’s largest contract chipmaker showed the company secured NT$4.77 billion in subsidies from the governments in the third quarter, bringing the total for the first three quarters of the year to about NT$71.9 billion. Along with the NT$75.16 billion in financial aid TSMC received last year, the chipmaker obtained NT$147 billion in subsidies in almost two years, the data showed. The subsidies received by its subsidiaries —
OUTLOOK: Pat Gelsinger said he did not expect the heavy AI infrastructure investments by the major cloud service providers to cause an AI bubble to burst soon Building a resilient energy supply chain is crucial for Taiwan to develop artificial intelligence (AI) technology and grow its economy, former Intel Corp chief executive officer Pat Gelsinger said yesterday. Gelsinger, now a general partner at the US venture capital firm Playground Global LLC, was asked at a news conference in Taipei about his views on Taiwan’s hardware development and growing concern over an AI bubble. “Today, the greatest issue in Taiwan isn’t even in the software or in architecture. It is energy,” Gelsinger said. “You are not in the position to have a resilient energy supply chain, and that,
RSS