In our quest to find solutions and move forward with the vaccine campaign, we have been researching alternative squalene sources and the reality of when and how they can be ready to replace shark based adjuvants.

During this process, we became aware of Amyris, a publicly-traded biosynthetic company based in Berkeley, California. They are producing squalene from sugarcane, which is already being used by many cosmetics manufacturers, as well as being sampled by several pharmaceutical companies. To find out more, Amyris agreed to a video chat with Stefanie Brendl, Executive Director of Shark Allies, John Melo, Amyris President & CEO and Chris Paddon, Ph.D, their lead squalene scientist. It resulted in a great discussion that clarifies misconceptions and focuses on solutions. 

This talk explains:

-why adjuvants are used in vaccines

-that sugarcane squalene is as cost-effective, available, pure, and stable as shark squalene

-what the environmental impact of sugarcane is vs shark squalene

-whether Amyris is ready to scale up its shark-alternative squalene to meet global demand

-how close are they to testing and getting regulatory approval for pharmaceutical use

-what the importance is of biotech to the future of vaccines, adjuvants, and public health  

More discussions coming soon! To learn more about SharkFreeVaccines, click here.