Alphavaccine Applications
Prophylactic Vaccines
The Company's development of several prophylactic vaccines, by application of its alphavaccine vector technology for the prevention of infectious diseases, either alone or in collaboration with corporate partners, academic institutions, and government agencies, is summarized below.
AVX has developed alphavaccines for CMV, HIV-1, HSV-2, RSV, seasonal and pandemic influenza viruses, gastrointestinal cancers, breast cancer, Marburg and Ebola viruses, and smallpox.
Certain results of using our technology in challenge studies of non-human primates against the Ebola virus have been published.
Therapeutic Vaccines
Therapeutic vaccines, used to treat chronic or recurrent diseases, offer an additional attractive opportunity for the application of our alphavaccine technology. Vaccines that treat existing diseases by enabling the immune system to control or clear the responsible pathogen are an emerging and competitive alternative to drug therapy. Examples of such diseases include HSV, HPV, and HCV.
Tumor Immunotherapy
There is mounting evidence to suggest that if the body's natural immune response can be sufficiently stimulated, it can recognize and kill cancer cells. We have used alphavaccines to express tumor-specific antigens to maximize such antitumor immune responses. The technology has shown exciting promise in animal models of breast, melanoma, cervical, and prostate cancer.; as well as in human trials for colon/gastrointestinal cancers and breast cancer ; as well as in pre-clinical and clinical trials for prostate cancer.
Data from clinical trials in CEA-induced cancers showed a trend toward extended survival. Immunological data, and related findings, in breast cancer trials where Her2 is over-expressed, are also compelling.
Biodefense
On account of its potent immunogenicity, applicability to a wide variety of pathogens, and potential for rapid deployment, the alphavaccine system is ideally suited to address threats from bioterror agents.
Benefiting from a number of multi-million dollar biodefense grants, AVX has validated the utility of the alphavaccine vector technology in this arena. Working in collaboration with the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) the performance of these vaccine candidates in animal studies in high-containment laboratories, has been proven. Emergency stockpiles of such vaccines could be manufactured for government-directed use. Products based on these candidates can be approved for widespread use based on human safety and the animal rule.
Veterinary Vaccines
Vaccines used in the protection of herd animals from a wide range of infectious diseases have been marketed for some time -- currently sold under license by Merck's animal health division, Intervet. Newer vaccines have been added more recently to this portfolio alongside of which vaccines used in companion animals are now being brought to the market.
