BEVERLY, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Akston Biosciences Corporation, a developer of new classes of biologics, announced that its president and CEO, Todd Zion, Ph.D., has been invited to present at this year’s World Vaccine Congress (WVC). This is the largest, most prestigious meeting dedicated to vaccines and will be held on April 18-21 in Washington, DC. In addition, the company’s Fc-fusion protein platform has been shortlisted in the best new vaccine technology category of the World Vaccine Congress Vaccine Industry Excellence (ViE) Awards.
“It’s an honor to be invited to present a clinical update of Akston’s COVID-19 vaccine at the World Vaccine Congress. AKS-452 is very cost-effective to manufacture at scale, and it does not have the cold-chain constraints of many other vaccines, so it can be a practical way to provide protection to those who are most in need,” Dr. Zion said.
Who: Todd Zion, Ph.D., President & CEO of Akston Biosciences Corporation
What: Clinical update on AKS-452, a low cost, shelf-stable, Fc-fusion protein COVID-19 vaccine (as part of WVC’s COVID & Beyond - M4 track)
When: April 21 at 11:30 a.m. (ET)
Where: Independence Salon D at the Marriott Marquis in Washington, DC.
During the discussion, Dr. Zion will discuss recent clinical results including:
- 96% (1-dose) and 100% (2-dose) seroconversion
- Binding of a broad spectrum of variant RBDs by serum from vaccinated subjects
- Robust IgG titer levels induced and maintained
- Favorable Th1/Th2 response and T cell activation across variants
- Uniquely efficient Fc-fusion protein vaccine platform
A Phase II/III double-blind, placebo-controlled registration trial for AKS-452 as a primary vaccine is underway in India, with the aim of receiving Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) this summer.
AKS-452 is currently being tested as a booster in a Phase II trial in the Netherlands with subjects that received primary vaccination with Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson or Astra-Zeneca vaccines.
About AKS-452
AKS-452 is a first-of-its-kind, protein subunit, thermostable, COVID-19 vaccine, which is shelf stable for six months at room temperatures (25° Celsius or 77° Fahrenheit) and maintains its potency for one month at elevated temperatures (37° Celsius or 99° Fahrenheit).
AKS-452 has been shown to induce a Th1/Th2 mixed immune response in patients against the Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) of the novel coronavirus spike protein. As the primary locus for infection, the RBD is highly conserved among mutated forms of the virus. Studies of AKS-452 have demonstrated robust antibody neutralization of variants, including Delta and Omicron.
It is designed as a flexible and economical vaccine for those most at risk in low- and middle-income countries, particularly those that lack cold-chain infrastructure needed for mRNA and DNA vaccines. AKS-452 uses standard antibody manufacturing techniques and equipment, so that a single 2000L production train could produce over one billion doses per year, making it less expensive to make than many other COVID-19 vaccines.
About Akston Biosciences
Akston Biosciences Corporation leverages its novel fusion protein platform to develop and manufacture new classes of biologics, including vaccines, ultra-long-acting insulins, and autoimmune disease therapies. Founded by the team that developed the world’s first clinical glucose-responsive insulin at SmartCells, Inc. (sold to Merck & Co.), Akston has partnered with Dechra Pharmaceuticals PLC to commercialize once-a-week canine and feline insulin therapies. It operates a GMP biologics manufacturing cleanroom facility and research laboratory at its Beverly, Mass. location. Additional information is available at www.akstonbio.com.
