Immunovaccine Inc., a clinical stage vaccine and immunotherapy company, and Leidos announced April 7 the two companies’ collaboration on developing a vaccine against the mosquito-borne Zika virus and infection, which may be linked to neurological birth defects.
“While we remain focused on immuno-oncology, collaborations with partners like Leidos allow us to expand the use and potential value of our platform technology in other applications and markets,” Immunovaccine Acting-CEO Frederic Ors said. “This first collaboration on a Zika virus vaccine builds on our previous success in developing candidate vaccines that show promise in providing one-dose, fast-acting protection.”
“Our virtual pharma approach ensures that we are not beholden to a particular technology or laboratory,” Leidos Deputy Group President Jerry Hogge said. “We are able to seek the best solutions to suit the project at hand. This includes our partnership with Immunovaccine, which leverages the best capabilities of both companies.”
This collaboration is the first to expand on Immunovaccine’s previously announced research project in which the company will apply its DepoVax™ platform to development of a Zika virus vaccine candidate. The project builds upon earlier promising results with DepoVax™ vaccines targeting the Ebola virus, anthrax and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
“The understanding of the Zika virus and its public health threat is expanding almost daily,” Immunovaccine’s Director of Research Marianne Stanford, Ph.D. said. “With current vaccine development models, there is too long between identification of risk of an epidemic and the creation of an effective vaccine. With Leidos as a partner, our new approach has the potential to compress that timeline.”
“With more than 25 years of experience in healthcare, and a commitment to developing the most cutting-edge technology, Leidos is focused on solving unmet medical needs and neutralizing emerging biological threats to improve the world we live in,” Leidos Director of Life Sciences Jim Pannucci said. “This strategic collaboration enables us to achieve our goals to build a better future.”
Under the terms of the agreement, Leidos will utilize its Virtual Pharmaceutical Development Program to lead an antigen discovery and development team to identify the best candidate antigens for protecting against infection by the Zika virus. Immunovaccine will then formulate new antigens in its DepoVax™ delivery system for pre-clinical testing. Together, the companies hope this project could serve as a replicable model for expediting the development and manufacture of vaccines to address current and future health emergencies.
Immunovaccine anticipates that preclinical testing of the Zika virus vaccine candidate will be performed in Canada, where the company is already collaborating with the scientific community, including Gary P. Kobinger, Ph.D., Chief of Special Pathogens of the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Related: Leidos Acquires Information Systems & Global Solutions Business Unit from Lockheed Martin
