Tetragenetics, a developer of recombinant vaccines, has presented preclinical study findings of an influenza vaccine candidate based on nanoparticles.
According to the results, the vaccine gives protection against an extremely pathogenic strain of avian influenza virus subtype named the H5N1.
Tetragenetics together with the Institute for Antiviral Research of Utah State University carried out the study under a contract funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. During the study, 90% of the treatment group that were vaccinated with Tetragenetics’ recombinant nanoparticle vaccine survived fatal doses of influenza.
The investigational H5N1 vaccine consists of the viral hemagglutinin bonded to Tetrahymena thermophila’s scaffold protein, which helps the assembly of extremely homogenous nanoparticles having a size range of 40-60 nm named G-SOME particles.
Tetragenetics’ Founder and Chief Scientific Officer, Ted Clark stated that the clinical study results clearly corroborate the utilization of Tetrahymena as a multi-purpose expression system for manufacturing nanoparticle-based vaccines to give protection from infectious disease agents. Since envelop protein or viral capsid, per se does not affect the assembly of G-SOME particles, this innovative technology is ideal for manufacturing multivalent vaccines for wide range of pathogens.
According to Tetragenetics’ President and Chief Executive Officer, Marco Cacciuttolo, the G-SOME vaccine nanoparticle advancement helps producing vaccines rapidly against almost any pathogen. This can be used as a proof-of-concept tool for various product candidates efficiently and quickly, Cacciuttolo said. He added that the company’s plans to quickly transform various vaccine programs into human clinical studies with vaccine and pharmaceutical company partners.
Source: http://www.tetragenetics.com/