---
title: "Yeast Prototype and Funding Shortage: Why Ukraine Did Not Launch Its COVID-19 Vaccine"
description: "Ukrainian scientists created a yeast COVID-19 vaccine prototype with 93% activity in 2021, but closed the project due to high clinical trial costs."
date: 2026-10-25T07:05:30.616Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/why-ukraine-did-not-launch-covid-19-vaccine
tags: [covid-19, ukraine, science, vaccine, biotechnology]
author: "Alexander Buran"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Yeast Prototype and Funding Shortage: Why Ukraine Did Not Launch Its COVID-19 Vaccine

![A scientist in protective gloves and goggles holding a test tube with a biological sample in a laboratory](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/25/pochemu-ukraina-ne-zapustila-vakcinu-ot-covid-19/pochemu-ukraina-ne-zapustila-vakcinu-ot-covid-19-1.webp)

## Key Points

- A vaccine prototype based on Komagataella phaffii yeast was developed in 2021
- Tests on mice showed 93% neutralizing activity of blood serum
- The project was dropped due to lack of funding and global alternatives
- Ukraine has not brought any self-developed human vaccine to market since independence
- Scientists consider veterinary drug development a more promising direction

Back in 2021, Ukrainian scientists developed a unique prototype of a domestic COVID-19 vaccine based on yeast, which showed 93% neutralizing activity during laboratory tests on animals. Despite promising results and the simplicity of potential manufacturing, the project was completely shut down by the end of that year. Kostyantyn Dmytruk, Director of the Cell Biology and Genetics Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, explained the reasons for stopping this large-scale scientific work and the prospects of the biopharmaceutical sector.

### Innovative Technology Based on Yeast Cells

To create the experimental drug, researchers used Komagataella phaffii yeast. On the surface of these single-celled organisms, scientists placed a key fragment of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, which is directly responsible for infection penetration into human cells. After thermal heating and inactivation of the yeast cells, the preparation acquired a form fully suitable for oral application in the form of drops or tablets.

The main technological advantage of this approach was the relative ease of scaling production. Unlike complex mRNA vaccines requiring ultra-cold supply chains, the yeast analogue did not need expensive and specific storage and transportation conditions. This opened up prospects for efficient logistics even in remote or crisis-affected regions.

### Clinical Barriers and the Financial Factor

During the preclinical stage, the prototype was tested on laboratory mice. Blood serum analysis of the immunized rodents recorded the production of specific antibodies with high neutralizing activity at the 93% level. However, successful tests on animals only confirm safety and immunogenicity at the initial stage, but do not guarantee a similar result for the human body.

Reaching the stage of clinical trials involving humans required colossal financial investments that the institute did not possess. As Kostyantyn Dmytruk explained, drug development requires huge investments with a high risk of failure. By the time the project was completed, globally approved and accessible international vaccines had already appeared on the market, making further financing of the domestic development economically unviable.

### Prospects of the Veterinary Direction and Market Realities

Over the years of independence, the Ukrainian scientific base has not brought a single independently developed vaccine for humans to the market. High competition from global pharmaceutical giants and heavily regulated registration processes create insurmountable barriers for local projects without state venture-type support.

As a more realistic alternative, scientists propose reorienting similar developments toward veterinary medicine. Creating vaccines for animals is characterized by simpler approval procedures, lower time and financial costs, and steady demand from domestic agribusiness. According to experts, it is in the veterinary sector that Ukrainian scientific developments can most quickly find practical application and commercial success.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [Разработка показала 93% успеха: почему Украина не запустила свою вакцину против Covid-19](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/rozrobka-pokazala-93-uspihu-chomu-ukrayina-1792588709.html) - The primary source confirms the 2021 yeast vaccine prototype, the 93% mouse test results, and project closure reasons.

## FAQ

### What was the basis of the Ukrainian COVID-19 vaccine prototype?

The drug was developed using Komagataella phaffii yeast with a SARS-CoV-2 spike protein fragment on their surface.

### Why was the vaccine development project shut down?

Research was stopped in late 2021 due to the need for huge funds for clinical trials and the availability of approved vaccines on the market.

### Which direction do scientists consider more promising for Ukraine?

Experts call veterinary vaccines a more realistic direction because they require fewer costs and pass registration more easily.