RD Therapeutic’s CEO, Ailene Thiel, took part today in the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations’ (CEPI) Global Pandemic Preparedness Summit. The Summit, which brought together world leaders from governments, international agencies, science and academia, industry, philanthropy, and civil society, aims to explore how we can respond to pandemics with safe and effective vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics within 100 days of an outbreak.

A very large part of the world is currently struggling to obtain and distribute needle-based therapies making equitable access to vaccines a real challenge. Rapid Dose Therapeutics (RDT)/ RD Therapeutics brought to the summit its perspective on how oral vaccination can eliminate current barriers to global vaccination. Oral vaccination, via the buccal or sublingual route, eliminates costly and complicated cold-chain transportation and storage requirements, reduces healthcare costs associated with vaccination programs by removing the need for medical professional administration, is non-invasive, and can be easily delivered to remote populations. As such, it is well positioned to address unmet medical needs in developing countries—a critical element in controlling or preventing a global pandemic.