QS-21 Adjuvant

QS-21 is a key component in five globally approved vaccines: Shingrix (shingles), Mosquirix/RTS,S and R21/Matrix-M (malaria), Arexvy (RSV), and COVID-19 vaccines. Its inclusion in these vaccines demonstrates its proven clinical efficacy, most notably achieving over 95% effectiveness in the Shingrix shingles vaccine.

QS-21 serves as a functional component in several advanced adjuvant systems including AS01 (used in Shingrix and Mosquirix), AS02, ALFQ, and Matrix-M. These systems combine QS-21 with other immunostimulants such as MPL to amplify both humoral and cellular immune responses for complex vaccine formulations.

QS-21 is currently in Phase I–III clinical trials for more than 20 vaccine candidates, including vaccines targeting HIV, cancer, herpes, Alzheimer's disease, Clostridium, pneumococcal disease, hepatitis B, and anthrax. Its ability to stimulate both antibody production and cellular immunity makes it particularly valuable for intracellular pathogen and therapeutic cancer vaccine research.

Desert King International produces 5 kg of QS-21 annually, expandable to 10 kg. Each gram of QS-21 enables 20,000–40,000 human doses, translating to a total annual supply capacity of 200–400 million human doses. This output supports both commercial vaccine manufacturing and large-scale clinical trial programs globally.

QS-21 is manufactured under GMP standards and holds both IPEC (International Pharmaceutical Excipients Council) GMP certification and EXCiPACT certification — Desert King is the first Chilean company and only global Quillaja supplier with EXCiPACT status. Raw materials are FSC-certified for sustainable sourcing. In China, excipient registration has entered Public Notice Phase I as of September 2025.

Yes. VuRoyal distributes veterinary-grade Quillaja saponaria adjuvants including QA-21 (lyophilized powder), Vet-sap (90% powder), and Ultra (65–70% powder). These products support vaccine programs and feed additive applications for poultry, swine, ruminants, aquaculture species including tilapia, carp, shrimp, and catfish, as well as prevention of conditions like SRS in salmon.