PR Newswire
11 Jun 2022, 00:45 GMT+10
PROVIDENCE, R.I., June 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- EpiVax, Inc. ("EpiVax") announces that it has developed VennVax, a smallpox vaccine candidate that is predicted to be highly effective against monkeypox. The development of this vaccine was funded by the National Institutes of Health (SBIR grant #R43AI058376). The company is looking for a strategic partner with funding and experience in advanced preclinical development and clinical trials to move this "Epitope-Driven Vaccine" into clinical trials. Although the U.S. government has stockpiled two vaccinia virus vaccines for both smallpox and monkeypox, a next generation subunit vaccine may offer a dose-sparing strategy that increases availability of one of the vaccines and avoids safety risks of the other.
Experts in T cell biology, EpiVax scientists have been developing novel T cell epitope vaccines since the company was founded in 1998. This vaccine is named VennVax because it was developed by defining conserved elements between vaccinia (the cowpox virus) and smallpox (the disease that vaccinia vaccine protects against). These conserved elements (T cell epitopes) are also conserved in monkeypox. Initial studies in HLA transgenic mice demonstrated 100% survival rates.
EpiVax has also marked progress this year on a new vaccine for avian influenza that incorporates an immune-engineered H7N9 Hemagglutinin (HA) vaccine antigen, which increased the immunogenicity and efficacy in mouse models. Publication forthcoming in an upcoming 2022 issue of Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics. This follows promising results for a Q Fever T cell vaccine candidate published in Frontiers in Immunology in May 2022, in collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital Scientists.
Dr. Lenny Moise, Director of Vaccine Research at EpiVax had this to say on the potential of T cell vaccine technology: "We are optimistic about the future for vaccines designed to exploit T cell immunity. Our T cell-directed smallpox vaccine shows it's possible to fully protect against disease without inducing an antibody response. And when antibodies are needed, whole antigens can be sculpted to trigger stronger T cell responses for increased vaccine efficacy."
EpiVax is a biotechnology company with expertise in T cell epitope prediction, immune modulation, and rapid vaccine design. EpiVax's screening toolkits for therapeutics and vaccines are employed in advancing the research of a global roster of companies.
For more information, visit www.epivax.com.
Press Contact:
Katie Porter, Business Development Manager
EpiVax
[email protected]
SOURCE EpiVax Inc.
Get a daily dose of Singapore Star news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Singapore Star.
More InformationEVERGLADES, Florida: Over the weekend, a diverse coalition of environmental activists, Native American leaders, and residents gathered...
BEIJING, China: China's national soccer team may struggle to stir excitement, but its humanoid robots are drawing cheers — and not...
]LONDON, U.K.: A World Health Organization (WHO) expert group investigating the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic released its final...
DOVER, Delaware: California Governor Gavin Newsom has taken legal aim at Fox News, accusing the network of deliberately distorting...
FRANKFURT, Germany: Germany has become the latest country to challenge Chinese AI firm DeepSeek over its data practices, as pressure...
TORONTO, Canada: Harvard University and the University of Toronto have created a backup plan to ensure Harvard graduate students continue...
NEW YORK, New York - Global stock indices closed with divergent performances on Tuesday, as investors weighed corporate earnings, central...
TORONTO, Canada: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced late on June 29 that trade negotiations with the U.S. have recommenced...
Vancouver, Canada: A high-stakes legal showdown is brewing in the world of athleisure. Lululemon, the Canadian brand known for its...
LONDON, U.K.: British oil giant Shell has denied reports that it is in talks to acquire rival oil company BP. The Wall Street Journal...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stock markets closed firmly in positive territory to start the week Monday, with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: On Friday, President Donald Trump announced that he was halting trade discussions with Canada due to its decision...