Allied Healthcare Group’s (ASX: AHZ) investment company Coridon has gained access to vector technology that will improve the performance of its next generation of DNA vaccines.
Coridon has entered into a licence agreement with Nature Technology Corporation for the use of its safe, minimalised and antibiotic-free selection vectors.
Importantly, the use of this vector will improve the overall benefit of Coridon’s vaccine by driving the in vivo transcription and translation of the genetic material.
“Access to this technology will allow the Coridon vaccine to fully maximise its gene expression and therefore improve the performance of the vaccine,” Lee Rodne, chief executive officer of Allied Healthcare Group, said.
“These are important steps forward to the initial Phase I study for Coridon which will provide validation of the Coridon technology.”
The licensing agreement with Nature Technology Corporation also allows Coridon access to the HyperGRO fermentation technology, which provides for high yield and cost effective DNA production.
Phase I trial
Coridon’s Herpes vaccine, which was recently announced to be 100% effective in protecting animals against Herpes Simplex Virus 2 infection, incorporates the NTC8485 antibiotic-free expression vector.
Nature Technology Corporation’s vectors have been designed to comply with U.S. Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency regulatory guidance.
Coridon’s HPV vaccine has been developed to combat existing infection with the HPV virus, to prevent and treat cervical and other HPV-associated cancers.
Cervical cancer is the second largest cause of cancer deaths in women worldwide. Globally, this equates to 510,000 cases per year, and about 288,000 deaths, according to the World Health Organization.
In the U.S. alone, about $1.7 billion is spent each year to treat cervical cancer.
To give an indication of the revenue potential of a HPV vaccine, the two currently used vaccines generate in excess of $1.5 billion in sales annually.
A Phase I study for Coridon’s herpes vaccine is scheduled to begin later this year.
U.S. manufacturing
Coridon has contracted a U.S. facility to manufacture its Phase I vaccine. VXGI Inc has begun manufacturing the Herpes vaccine using the HyperGRO technology.