Japan's DNAVEC and IAVI partner on novel AIDS vaccine strategy
Jul 9, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
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We simply must do a better job of marshalling the scientific talent and resources from every corner of the globe to design effective and long-term approaches to HIV prevention,concluded Berkley. Japanese biotechnology companies such as DNAVEC, with a proven capability in developing innovative vaccine concepts, will play a large role in the global search for a vaccine to end AIDS.
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By International AIDS Vaccine Initiative,
[RxPG] Tsukuba City, Japan and New York, July 9, 2007The New York-based International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) and DNAVEC Corporation today announced a collaboration to jointly develop an AIDS vaccine using DNAVEC's Sendai virus (SeV) vector technology. The candidate will be designed to be administered intra-nasally to stimulate immune responses in both the blood and mucosal tissues, the initial point of entry for HIV.
This direction in AIDS vaccine development is crucial: Today, most candidates in clinical trialsnumbering close to 30are based on a cell-mediated approach, targeting only one arm of the human immune system. Promising vectors that trigger mucosal immunity at the primary site of infection and replication could serve as a first line of defense in fending off the virus. These properties may be necessary for an efficacious vaccine.
Sendai, which serves as a basis of the vector, is a RNA virus that does not cause disease in humans, is capable of efficiently delivering genes expressing HIV proteins to the immune system, and of replicating safely in the upper airway. DNAVEC and the Japanese National Institute for Infectious Diseases (NIID) have demonstrated that monkeys can be protected against SIV, a virus that causes a disease in some non-human primates that is much like AIDS, if vaccinated intra-nasally using a recombinant SeV vaccine candidate.
One of IAVI's scientific priorities is to develop vaccines by using new and improved viral vectors that can control HIV infection, said Seth Berkley, CEO and President of IAVI. The preliminary data from DNAVEC and the Japanese NIID in monkeys makes SeV a promising candidate, and we are delighted to be working with our first Japanese industrial partner on the project. Since its inception in 1996, IAVI has tested six candidate vaccines and raised nearly a half billion dollars in new funding for AIDS vaccine research and development.
IAVI and DNAVEC will each contribute scientific and technical expertise to develop the SeV vector-based AIDS vaccine, with a goal of advancing the candidate to human clinical trials within the next three years. The agreement includes pre-clinical testing for immunogenicity and safety, process development for manufacturing, and a Phase I clinical trial for the candidate. The partners will evaluate further development after the results of early testing. DNAVEC will receive royalties from any vaccine licensed for use in developed countries, while both partners have agreed to make any successful vaccine available as quickly as possible to countries hardest hit by the epidemic. IAVI also will provide financial support for the project.
This agreement brings together IAVI's proven product development expertise and experience conducting clinical trials in North America, Europe, Africa and India with DNAVEC's promising and unique vector technology, said Mamoru Hasegawa, President and CEO of DNAVEC. We are very hopeful the partnership will bring us closer to a safe and effective AIDS vaccine, which would be a great contribution to human welfare.
Currently, there are close to 40 million people infected with HIV, most of them in developing countries, with the number of new infections worldwide topping 12,000 per day. Although the international community has made significant strides in expanding AIDS treatment and care, HIV/AIDS is outpacing the global response. For every person who begins antiretroviral treatment for AIDS, estimates suggest six more become newly infected with HIV.
We simply must do a better job of marshalling the scientific talent and resources from every corner of the globe to design effective and long-term approaches to HIV prevention,concluded Berkley. Japanese biotechnology companies such as DNAVEC, with a proven capability in developing innovative vaccine concepts, will play a large role in the global search for a vaccine to end AIDS.
To date, DNAVEC has worked with the University of Tokyo and the Beijing University of Technology to develop the Sendai vector as a viable technology for HIV/AIDS vaccines.
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