Vaxine's promising new COVID-19 vaccine candidate

COVAX-19® immunizations completed at University of Georgia to assess COVID-19 protection

ADELAIDE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA, June 15, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Vaxine Pty Ltd announced today completion of the immunization phase of ferret challenge studies being conducted at the University of Georgia to test the ability of Vaxine’s promising COVAX-19^® vaccine to protect against COVID-19.

“We have already seen that COVAX-19^® vaccine induces potent antibody and T cell responses against COVID-19 spike protein in mice and have seeen antibody responses in monkeys that exceeded levels in recovering human patients post-COVID-19 infection”, said Professor Nikolai Petrovsky, MBBS, FRACP, PhD, Chairman and Research Director of Vaxine.

The University of Georgia has now successfully completed immunizations of ferrets with COVAX-19^® vaccine, with no reports of any adverse reactions. The next step will be for the immunized ferrets to be challenged with COVID-19 virus to assess their protection, with this work scheduled to take place over the next 4 weeks.

University of Georgia is one of the US’s leading academic research centers specialized in pandemic vaccine testing.

“We are very pleased to assist Vaxine with validating the effectiveness of their COVAX-19^® vaccine”, said Professor Ted M. Ross PhD, Director of the Center for Vaccines and Immunology and Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar and Professor of Infectious Diseases.

“University of Georgia has one of the largest high-security ferret challenge facilities in North America, making it the ideal site to conduct such vaccine efficacy studies”, Prof. Ross explained.

COVAX-19^® vaccine is based on Vaxine’s unique Advax™ adjuvant technology that strongly stimulates both T cell and antibody responses when combined with SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.

"Advax™ adjuvant technology is a game changer", explained Prof. Petrovsky, "Advax is the first anti-inflammatory adjuvant. Hence unlike the problems of high fevers, fatigue and muscle aches commonly seen with vaccines based on adenovirus vectors or mRNA or formulated with traditional inflammatory adjuvants, COVAX-19^® vaccine should be free of any such inflammatory side effects."

Phase 1 human clinical trials of Vaxine’s COVAX-19^® vaccine are scheduled to commence soon, with early results by September and Phase 2/3 clinical trials planned for Q4 2020. Vaccine launch is expected for early in 2021.

“The current animal studies which will report over the next 2 months should demonstrate the superiority of COVAX-19^® vaccine in protecting against COVID-19 infection”, said Sharen Pringle, Vaxine’s Business Manager, "Our expectation is that COVAX-19^® vaccine will not only provide superior and long-lasting protection but will also provide superior safety and tolerability", she explained.

Vaxine’s pandemic vaccine platform has a proven track record and can be rapidly manufactured at large scale with Vaxine having a 20-year track record of development of state-of-the-art vaccines against pandemic influenza, SARS and MERS coronaviruses.

“COVAX-19^® vaccine is designed to provide a safe and highly effective vaccine against COVID-19 that can be used in all ages from newborns to the elderly”, explained Prof. Petrovsky, "Through use of Advax adjuvant in previous pandemic influenza vaccine clinical trials we have shown it is possible to produce protective immune responses even in subjects 90 years of age and older, an age group where most other vaccine technologies including adenovirus vectors are almost certain to fail," he explained.

"Right now the world needs COVID-19 vaccines that are effective across all age groups and particularly in the elderly in order to bring this pandemic to a rapid end. That is exactly the role that Advax™ adjuvant was designed for”, Prof. Petrovsky concluded

Vaxine is working with multiple international partners including the University of Georgia to finalise testing and development of COVAX-19^® vaccine in advance of plans to make its vaccine globally available. Vaxine recently partnered with irish company, APC, a Dublin based Irish research and development company that partners with the global pharmaceutical and biotech industry to accelerate the development and launch of quality, life-changing medicines to patients, to undertake process optimisation of spike protein production, a critical ingredient in COVAX-19^® vaccine. Vaxine has also announced a recent memorandum of understanding with South Korean Biopharma company, Medytox Inc, to make COVAX-19^® vaccine available in Korea. Vaxine continues to talk with additional potential pharma partners in multiple other regions of the world to try and ensure COVAX-19^® vaccine is available to as many countries as possible, once approved. Development of COVAX-19^® vaccine has been supported by a Fast Grant from Emergent Ventures at the Mercatus Center, George Mason University.

About Vaxine
Vaxine was incorporated in 2002 as a private Australian biotechnology company focused on development of innovative vaccines based on its unique Advax™ vaccine adjuvants. Vaxine has successfully developed vaccines against seasonal and pandemic influenza, hepatitis B, Japanese encephalitis, and West Nile Virus. In addition to its infectious disease focus, Vaxine has divisions focused on cancer immunotherapy and allergy (Mylexa Pty Ltd). Vaxine also has a veterinary division, Vetvax Pty Ltd, that supplies vaccine adjuvants for animal health vaccine applications and is also commercializing a canine cancer vaccine.

Nikolai Petrovsky
Vaxine Pty Ltd
+61 437 033 400
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