Identifying falsified COVID-19 vaccines by analysing vaccine vial label and excipient profiles using MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry
Issued Date
2025-12-01
Resource Type
eISSN
20590105
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85218110788
Journal Title
npj Vaccines
Volume
10
Issue
1
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
npj Vaccines Vol.10 No.1 (2025)
Suggested Citation
Arman B.Y., Clarke R., Bharucha T., Fernandez L.G., Walsby-Tickle J., Deats M., Mosca S., Lin Q., Banerjee S., Chunekar S.R., Patil K.D., Gairola S., Dunachie S., Merchant H.A., Stokes R., Kuwana R., Maes A., Charrier J.P., Probert F., Caillet C., Matousek P., McCullagh J., Newton P.N., Zitzmann N., Gangadharan B. Identifying falsified COVID-19 vaccines by analysing vaccine vial label and excipient profiles using MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry. npj Vaccines Vol.10 No.1 (2025). doi:10.1038/s41541-024-01051-3 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/105431
Title
Identifying falsified COVID-19 vaccines by analysing vaccine vial label and excipient profiles using MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry
Author(s)
Author's Affiliation
Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd.
Central Laser Facility
Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit
NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
MESA+ Instituut
Organisation Mondiale de la Santé
University of Oxford
University of East London
BioMérieux SA
Nuffield Department of Medicine
University of Oxford Medical Sciences Division
Agilent Technologies LDA UK
Central Laser Facility
Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit
NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
MESA+ Instituut
Organisation Mondiale de la Santé
University of Oxford
University of East London
BioMérieux SA
Nuffield Department of Medicine
University of Oxford Medical Sciences Division
Agilent Technologies LDA UK
Corresponding Author(s)
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
The rapid development and worldwide distribution of COVID-19 vaccines is a remarkable achievement of biomedical research and logistical implementation. However, these developments are associated with the risk of a surge of substandard and falsified (SF) vaccines, as illustrated by the 184 incidents with SF and diverted COVID-19 vaccines which have been reported during the pandemic in 48 countries, with a paucity of methods for their detection in supply chains. In this context, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation-time of flight (MALDI-ToF) mass spectrometry (MS) is globally available for fast and accurate analysis of bacteria in patient samples, offering a potentially accessible solution to identify SF vaccines. We analysed the COVISHIELD™ COVID-19 vaccine; falsified versions of which were found in India, Myanmar and Uganda. We demonstrate for the first time that analysis of spectra from the vaccine vial label and its adhesive could be used as a novel approach to detect falsified vaccines. Vials tested by this approach could be retained in the supply chain since it is non-invasive. We also assessed whether MALDI-ToF MS could be used to distinguish the COVISHIELD™ vaccine from surrogates of falsified vaccines and the effect of temperature on vaccine stability. Both polysorbate 80 and L-histidine excipients of the genuine vaccine could be detected by the presence of a unique combination of MALDI-ToF MS peaks which allowed us to distinguish between the genuine vaccines and falsified vaccine surrogates. Furthermore, even if a falsified product contained polysorbate 80 at the same concentration as used in the genuine vaccine, the characteristic spectral profile of polysorbate 80 used in genuine products is a reliable internal marker for vaccine authenticity. Our findings demonstrate that MALDI-ToF MS analysis of extracts from vial labels and the vaccine excipients themselves can be used independently to detect falsified vaccines. This approach has the potential to be integrated into the national regulatory standards and WHO’s Prevent, Detect, and Respond strategy as a novel effective tool for detecting falsified vaccines.