Shark liver oil, or squalene, is a fatty substance that is considered a lifesaver for humans. It acts as a boosting agent in vaccines, called an adjuvant, that improves the immune system and makes vaccines more effective. The importance of shark liver oil has further increased now, amidst the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, as pharmaceutical companies around the world are working on various coronavirus vaccines. For centuries, people have exploited shark livers for food and energy - liver oil, for example, fueled streetlights across 18th-century Europe. Other major pharmaceutical companies, such as GSK and Novartis, began to rely on squalene for their seasonal flu and swine flu vaccines.

Source: dna November 19, 2020 14:14 UTC