BRISBANE, Australia & CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Vaxxas, a clinical-stage biotechnology company commercializing a novel high-density microarray patch (HD-MAP) vaccination platform, today announced that the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH) has granted the company a license to a next-generation vaccine antigen (DS2), designed for use in prophylactic vaccines against Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).
Vaxxas’ worldwide license from the NIH enables the company to create the first needle-free, room-temperature stable RSV vaccine to enter clinical studies.
The next-generation DS2 RSV vaccine antigen licensed by Vaxxas was developed by scientists at the NIH’s Vaccine Research Center and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to prompt a more robust and durable immune response against RSV compared to the antigen used in currently approved vaccines (DS-Cav1).
“Published preclinical results show the potential immunogenic advantages of this next-generation antigen as the basis for an RSV vaccine that could offer more robust and durable protection against the virus, compared to vaccines already on the market,” David L. Hoey, President and CEO of Vaxxas, said. “These advantages, coupled with our needle-free technology’s potential to eliminate the need for refrigerated distribution and enable self-administration, could offer a vaccine that makes a significant impact on the way we protect populations against this serious respiratory infection in the future.”
Vaxxas’ HD-MAP vaccine delivery platform is advancing toward commercialization, with five successful Phase I clinical trials involving more than 500 participants completed, including a second-generation COVID-19 vaccine candidate, a HD-MAP delivered flu vaccine showing greater immunogenicity than the approved injectable vaccine comparator, and a measles and rubella vaccine.
With funding from the United States Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), the company is currently conducting its first U.S. IND-enabled Phase I clinical study for a pre-pandemic influenza vaccine involving 258 participants.
Vaxxas plans to progress its needle-free HD-MAP/RSV vaccine to a Phase I clinical study after completing preclinical development of the product.
About Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)
RSV is a common contagious virus affecting the lungs and breathing passages. The global burden of RSV is substantial, causing an estimated 33 million acute lower respiratory infection episodes per year, resulting in an estimated 3.6 million RSV-related hospitalizations and over 101,400 RSV-related deaths annually.
RSV contributes substantially to morbidity and mortality burden globally in children aged 0-60 months, especially during the first six (6) months of life. Adults can be at increased risk for RSV disease due to comorbidities, immune compromised status, or advanced age. RSV can exacerbate conditions, including COPD, asthma, and chronic heart failure which can lead to severe outcomes, such as pneumonia, hospitalization, and death.
The 2023 approval of the world's first RSV vaccines in the US and Europe, GSK’s AREXVY and Pfizer’s ABRYSVO, was a significant milestone in addressing the grave unmet medical needs associated with RSV.
About HD-MAP needle-free vaccines
The Vaxxas HD-MAP is comprised of thousands of microscopic projections molded into a small patch. Each microprojection is coated with a small dose of vaccine in a dried formulation. When applied to the skin using a proprietary, easy to use applicator, the patch delivers the vaccine to the abundant immune cells that naturally reside immediately below the skin surface.
HD-MAP vaccine delivery offers many potential benefits over more traditional ways of administering vaccines. For example, the dried form of the vaccine is more stable at higher temperatures than vaccines in liquid formulations, therefore potentially reducing the need for cold-chain storage and distribution.
Vaxxas’ HD-MAPs have proven safe and tolerable in hundreds of trial participants to date, and have been shown to induce equal or greater immune responses to injected vaccines at lower doses. Compared with needle and syringe systems, HD-MAP vaccines are also much easier to administer and are likely to have greater acceptability by healthcare workers and patients/subjects.
Ultimately, HD-MAPs could enable a future in which vaccine patches could be shipped directly to peoples’ homes, workplaces, and schools, avoiding the delay, inconvenience, and safety challenges associated with traditional needle-and-syringe vaccine scheduling and administration.
About Vaxxas
Vaxxas is a privately held biotechnology company focused on enhancing the performance of existing and next-generation vaccines with its proprietary HD-MAP. Vaxxas is targeting initial applications in infectious diseases and oncology.
With success in several completed human clinical trials involving more than 500 participants; additional ongoing Phase I clinical studies for seasonal influenza and COVID-19; and other vaccine studies targeting pandemic influenza, funded by the United States Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), Vaxxas’ HD-MAP vaccine delivery platform is advancing toward commercialization.
Vaxxas’ core technology was initially developed at The University of Queensland (UQ), and the company was established as a start-up in 2011 by UQ’s commercialization group UniQuest. The company was founded with the completion of an initial equity financing led by OneVentures Innovation Fund I with co-investors Brandon Capital Partners and US-based HealthCare Ventures, followed by a further financing led by OneVentures with UQ joining the most recent financing.
OneVentures Innovation Fund I and Brandon BioCatalyst are supported by the Australian Government’s Innovation Investment Fund (IIF) program. The IIF is an Australian Government venture capital initiative that provides investment capital and managerial expertise through licensed venture capital fund managers to investee companies. Learn more at OneVentures and Brandon Capital.
Caution
The Vaxxas HD-MAP delivered vaccines are under investigation and available only for investigational uses. They are not available anywhere in the world for sale or purchase. As such, Vaxxas makes no claim that the vaccines are reliable, durable, dependable, safe, or effective, and makes no claim that it is superior to any other vaccine or vaccine delivery technology.
