Global innovation award for converting cashew waste into key vaccine ingredient
- Wits University
Scientists win prestigious international award for pioneering a biodegradable, Africa-sourced ingredient that could transform the future of vaccine production.
The Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit (AGTRU) and the Synthetic Organic Chemistry Unit in the School of Chemistry at Wits have received one of six international innovation awards under the GIZ SAVax programme. Their project, Local large-scale production of ionisable lipids, secured a R7-million grant to develop vaccine-enabling compounds derived from cashew nutshell liquid – a by-product of the cashew industry that is abundant across Africa.
This breakthrough positions Wits and South Africa as a leader in developing bio-renewable materials for mRNA vaccines and supports the African Union’s target of producing 60% of the continent’s vaccines locally by 2040. Currently, Africa produces only 1% of the vaccines it uses.
mRNA vaccine technologies gained prominence during the Covid-19 pandemic and are now central to future global health efforts. Ionisable lipids – a crucial component in these vaccines – enable the safe delivery of mRNA into cells, where it instructs them to produce proteins that trigger immune responses. However, these lipids are currently expensive, often made from petroleum, or subject to restrictive patents.
Professor Patrick Arbuthnot, head of AGTRU, said the award comes at a pivotal time. “Ionisable lipids have important applications for vaccines, and the potential to scale this technology is promising. We are excited to develop a sustainable, locally sourced alternative."
The Wits team has successfully transformed cashew nutshell liquid into hydrogenated cardanol. This is a cheap and sustainable way to assemble ionisable lipids, which can be custom-designed to carry mRNA. This is an accessible alternative for low- and- middle-income countries. Indeed, Africa produces about 54% of the world’s cashew nutshell liquid, which is usually discarded as waste.
"Furthermore, the source of the chemical building blocks is from cashew shells and not the cashew nut. Hence this doesn’t compete with an important food source,” said Professor Charles de Koning, Head of the School of Chemistry.
In partnership with Chemical Process Technologies (CPT) Pharma, a local industry partner, the special lipids shall be produced on a large scale in South Africa at a lower cost. This is an important step before the lipids can be used in medical products. The CPT group has a team of researchers who use innovative and creative methods to develop essential ingredients for medicines.
These methods have considerable potential for success in the market. Together, the Wits and CPT Pharma scientists will develop the ingredients needed to produce vaccines both locally and internationally.
Funded by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the SAVax programme supports vaccine and health technology innovation across Africa as part of the Team Europe Initiative on Manufacturing and Access to Vaccines, Medicines and Health Technologies (MAV+).
Speaking at the event, Enrico Brandt, Deputy Head of Mission: German Embassy to South Africa, explained that South Africa is uniquely placed as a science and innovation hub.
“South Africa, through its scientific excellence, can respond to current and future health threats. It is a strategic decision for Europe to invest in these bio-innovation projects, particularly in light of colliding health challenges.”
Arbuthnot says, “This innovation not only underscores the scientific excellence at Wits University but demonstrates how African ingenuity can solve global health challenges through local resources and sustainable science."