A promising new startup, Ovax Inc., secured $10 million in funding to advance the development of a groundbreaking vaccine designed to prevent fentanyl-related deaths. The initiative focuses on commercializing academic research aimed at preventing the potent opioid from reaching the brain, reported Bloomberg on Wednesday. Ovax obtained licensing for intellectual property from University of Houston researchers who successfully tested a fentanyl vaccine in rats. The company, which officially launches this week, is set to begin human trials early next year. If successful, the vaccine would block the euphoric effects and deadly overdoses caused by fentanyl. Unlike naloxone, which can reverse a fentanyl overdose if administered promptly, the Ovax vaccine aims to prevent overdoses by neutralizing the drug’s effects before they manifest. "The science is there," said JR Rahn, the startup's co-founder. "It just ...