RE:Vaccine competition? Hi Apophis...Some thoughts: Don't see why the inhaled route cannot also be a viable option for TLT to investigate. Such a route can be used as both a therapeutic & as a vaccine. The big advantage here is you can directly target a virus therapeutically or you can elicit a strong local immune response directly at the site of initial infection. This approach would activate that all important mucosal immunity in addition to all the other players in the immune response.
As mentioned in the last NR, TLD-1433/PDT fully (or 99.99%) inactivated Covid & left the spike protein intact, including its many inherent epitopes (antibody attachment sites). As I mentioned before, I consider this a "giant" first step as often the spike protein & its epitopes can become destroyed or can lose their shape when removed from the virus during the inactivation process.
Now you just need a vector (a phage particle or an attenuated/modified virus) to deliver the goods (purified epitopes, etc.) in a proper diluent. I personally think this approach would be an excellent/viable option considering that there are already multiple efficacious mRNA/other injectable vaccines currently on the market. Also, I believe an inhalable vaccine doesn't need the special handling/refrigeration required by the mRNA vaccines, which means you can also more easily distribute such a vaccine to more rural, remote & many underserved communities.
The only caveat I would have also relates to its major benefit...the fact that it is inhaled. Although one can easily teach a capable person how to use an inhaler, can the vaccine's advantages be maintained when used in children, various elderly & certain other compromised patient populations...vaccine deposition in the upper airway could be lessened or at least variable in these patients. This is perhaps where a positive pressure mechanism of inhaled delivery could be utilized for some.
Sorry for the rambling, but I think this strategy deserves further exploration at some point by TLT. JMO & good luck...