SAN DIEGO & BALTIMORE--()--Ichor Medical Systems (Ichor) and Profectus Biosciences (Profectus) announced today that they have entered into a long-term development, license, and supply Agreement providing Profectus with commercial access to Ichor’s TriGrid™ Delivery System (TriGrid™) for the clinical development of its DNA vaccine programs, with an option for Ichor to co-develop.
In an earlier clinical study, Ichor’s TriGrid™ was shown to significantly enhance immune responses to DNA vaccination in human subjects compared to conventional injection. As an automated, push-button electroporation system, the proprietary TriGrid™ minimizes operator error and ensures the safe, rapid, effective and reproducible administration of DNA, thereby supporting the development and commercialization of DNA-based products.
ProfectusVAX™, Profectus’ prime-boost vaccine strategy, consisting of recently in-licensed assets from Wyeth Vaccines, is an approach that utilizes the best-in-class plasmid DNA, to prime, and first-in-class rVSV (recombinant Vesicular Stomatitis Virus) vectors to boost, which elicits a very intense and durable immune response.
Dr. John Eldridge, Profectus Chief Scientific Officer, stated, “We are excited to be entering into the clinic using Ichor’s TriGrid™ delivery system for the delivery of our DNA vaccines both alone, and in prime/boost combination with our rVSV vaccine vector. Profectus has made significant clinical progress in advancing our vaccine programs using this multi-pronged approach. We believe that by combining our proprietary DNA vaccine technology with novel molecular adjuvants, improved formulation and a powerful delivery system, Profectus will overcome the previous challenges of efficiently delivering DNA vaccines in vivo.”
“We are delighted to be working with the experienced team at Profectus and believe this Agreement further validates the utility of our TriGrid™ technologies for a variety of DNA vaccine approaches. We are pleased to provide our enabling TriGrid™ technology to Profectus for clinical delivery of its ProfectusVAX™ portfolio of DNA vaccines,” said Bob Bernard, Ichor CEO.
The first clinical vaccine candidate for HIV is planned for clinical trials in Q2’10, followed by a therapeutic HCV vaccine. Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.
About Ichor Medical Systems
Ichor Medical Systems’ TriGrid™ Delivery System is the first integrated and fully automated system for electroporation-mediated DNA administration in humans. Ichor, a privately-held biotech company based in San Diego, CA, is collaborating with partners on three continents in a wide range of studies to test the TriGrid as an enabling platform for delivery of DNA drugs and vaccines to treat diseases such as pandemic flu, hepatitis B, HIV, melanoma, Alzheimer’s disease, and others. The TriGrid™ device is also being tested by the U.S. military as an efficient means of delivering biodefense countermeasures. Ichor’s current research partners also include Delphi Genetics, FIT Biotech, Genexine, INSERM, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Leiden University Medical Center, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, the Pasteur Institute, ScanCell, The Scripps Research Institute, the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), the Naval Medical Research Center (NMRC), the University of Georgia, University of Constance and the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO). For further information, visit www.ichorms.com. For additional inquiries, please contact: May de las Alas, Ph.D. at mdelasalas@ichorms.com.
About Profectus Biosciences, Inc.
Profectus Biosciences is an innovative R&D clinical-stage vaccine company devoted to advancing the treatment and prevention of chronic viral diseases. ProfectusVAX™, the Profectus proprietary vaccine approach combines its plasmid (p) DNA and rVSV (recombinant Vesicular Stomatitis Virus) vector platforms in a unique prime-boost strategy to enhance immune responses to viruses that cause chronic disease. Profectus has a pipeline of proprietary vaccine products to address diseases caused by Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), and Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) as well as for Malaria. The first of three proof-of-concept clinical trials with the prime/boost HIV vaccine candidate is planned for H1 of 2010, followed by a therapeutic HCV vaccine.
The Profectus portfolio has secured over $100M in non-dilutive funding of its programs from multiple sources including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and $19M in private equity financing, including Cross Atlantic Capital Partners (XACP). Profectus deploys these financial resources in support of its proprietary prime-boost vaccines for multiple indications. In addition, the Company is funding its early research small molecule program for potential partners. For more information, please visit: http://www.profectusbiosciences.com.
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