Chile Approves New Shingles Vaccine Featuring Desert King Saponins
This milestone marks the arrival of a more effective and safer vaccine that incorporates Chilean quillay extract as an immunological adjuvant.
Chile’s Public Health Institute (ISP) has approved a new recombinant shingles (herpes zoster) vaccine manufactured by GSK. This vaccine stands out for its high clinical efficacy and its inclusion of a component developed from Chilean quillay. This ingredient, extracted and purified by Desert King, represents a significant contribution of national biotechnology to global health.
Marketed under the name Shingrix, this vaccine is currently the most effective one available in Chile to prevent shingles and its primary complication, postherpetic neuralgia—a persistent pain that can last for months or even years after the outbreak. Unlike the previous approved vaccine—Zostavax, which uses a live attenuated virus—this new formulation does not contain live viruses. It has shown an efficacy of up to 97% in adults aged 50 to 69 and 91% in those over 70, with protection lasting for at least 10 years.
One of the differentiating elements of this vaccine is the use of an adjuvant whose formulation contains saponins from quillay, a tree native to Chile, which enhances the immune response. Desert King, a Chilean company with extensive experience in plant biotechnology, develops this ingredient under the highest international pharmaceutical standards.
Desert King is the only supplier of Quillaja in the world certified by EXCiPACT™ for its compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Distribution Practices (GDP) for pharmaceutical excipients.
Furthermore, it leads the sector as the only Quillaja saponin company with FSC® Chain of Custody and Controlled Wood certification (FSC® C156804), which guarantees a sustainable and traceable supply from source to final sale.
Desert King’s saponins have been validated in five globally approved vaccines, including key immunizations against:
- Malaria
- COVID-19
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)
- Shingles
Leading laboratories such as GSK and Novavax trust the power of this natural ingredient with high biotechnological value.
“We are immensely proud that this is the second shingles vaccine approved in Chile, and the only one that contains quillay saponins produced and patented by Desert King. This milestone demonstrates how science made in our country can transform global health,” says Andrés González, CEO & Country Manager of Desert King Chile.
This vaccine is indicated for adults aged 50 and over, as well as for individuals over 18 with immunosuppression or a higher risk of developing shingles. It is also recommended for those who have already had a previous episode, once the acute phase has passed.
It is administered in two intramuscular doses, separated by 2 to 6 months, and can be given alongside other adult vaccines, such as those for influenza, pneumococcus, or COVID-19 (in different injection sites). Its most common side effects are mild and short-lived.
