AlphaVax Business Strategy

The Company’s corporate partnering strategy includes the partnering or the out-licensing of its srRNA proprietary alphavaccine technology for specific disease and/or antigen applications. The alphavaccine technology is based on AlphaVax’s proprietary replicon vector platform derived from attenuated strains of the alphavirus, the Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) virus.

AlphaVax's  partners have included Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, Inc., for Cytomegaolvirus (CMV), and certain US government agencies for specific vaccine treatments against certain viruses.

The Company's licensees outside of human health include Harris Vaccines (now part of the Merck Animal Health subsidiary, Intervet) covering vaccines for certain farmed animals and companion animals.

Exclusive licensing agreements have also been signed with the Chemical Biological Medical Systems section of the U.S. Department of Defense for the development of alphavaccines for the Filoviruses: Marburg and Ebola, and other viruses.

Scientist in lab using a pipette.
Hand holding syringe and vial of blue liquid.

Partnerships

  • NOVARTIS – Novartis had exclusive rights to develop and commercialize CMV alphavaccines under a December 2008 license agreement. This license was subsequently modified to cover other unnamed indications.
  • DUKE UNIVERSITY – AlphaVax has been a co-investigator with Duke on two cancer vaccine development grants from the National Cancer Institute and the Department of Defense, Breast Cancer Research Program.
  • MEMORIAL SLOAN-KETTERING CANCER CENTER – This institution has been a collaborator in a number of pre-clinical studies for an immunotherapeutic against melanoma.
  • NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH) – AlphaVax has received eight grants from the NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) for vaccine development against HIV and biodefense targets.
  • UNITED STATES ARMY MEDICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES (USAMRIID) – Alphavax has been a co-investigator with USAMRIID on four biodefense grants from the NIH.​
  • CBMS-JOINT VACCINE ACQUISITION PROGRAM / DEPT. OF DEFENSE – AlphaVax has granted CBMS-JVAP​ an exclusive license to its alphavaccine platform for the development of Marburg and Ebola virus vaccines​ and a license for a further indication.
  • HARRIS VACCINES/ MERCK ANIMAL HEALTH – AlphaVax had granted Harris Vaccines (since acquired by Merck) a license to develop vaccines for certain veterinary and companion animal disease applications.