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ImmunityBio Study Shows Positive T Cell and Antibody Immune Responses to its COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate that Targets Both Spike and Nucleocapsid Virus Proteins
Preclinical results show this next generation Adeno (hAd5) vaccine, which targets both spike (S) and nucleocapsid (N) SARS-CoV-2 proteins, generates CD4+ and
About this update from Immunitybio, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"\n\nPreclinical results show this next generation Adeno (hAd5) vaccine, which targets both spike (S) and nucleocapsid (N) SARS-CoV-2 proteins, generates CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses, both of which can form long-term immune memory.\n\n\n\n\nInclusion of nucleocapsid in this vaccine construct potentially overcomes the risk of emerging mutations in spike, which might limit the efficacy of S-only vaccines.\n\n\n\n\nIn the study, all of the mice (5 out of 5) generated robust CD4+ and CD8+ antigen-specific T cells to S and N proteins.\n\n\nFour out of five mice generated an S-specific antibody response, with evidence of Th1 dominance, and two of these mice demonstrated potent neutralizing antibodies.\n\n\nPrevious clinical studies have shown that ImmunityBio’s second generation hAd5 vector platform generates an immune response in patients with pre-existing immunity to adenoviruses, suggesting that prior adenovirus exposure is not a limitation for this platform during initial vaccination or a booster.\n\n\n CULVER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--\nImmunityBio, Inc. a privately-held, clinical-stage immunotherapy company, today announced positive preclinical results for its human Ad5 vaccine candidate that contains both the spike (S) and nucleocapsid (N) SARS-CoV-2 proteins (hAd5 S + N) for preventing COVID-19. The results were published in bioRxiv (“A Next Generation Bivalent Human Ad5 COVID-19 Vaccine Delivering Both Spike and Nucleocapsid Antigens Elicits Th1 Dominant CD4+, CD8+ T Cell and Neutralizing Antibody Responses”).\n\n\nFirst generation adenoviral-based vaccines are hampered by pre-existing adenovirus immunity, which reduces the immunogenicity of the vaccines. In addition, with vaccines that target S alone, there is a risk that they may be rendered ineffective due to the high likelihood of spike protein mutation.\n\n\n“By additionally targeting the N antigen, which is highly conserved between SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 and unlikely to mutate, our vaccine candidate is designed to generate long-term memory T cells activated by N protein, similar to those memory T cells that have been discovered in SARS-CoV patients 17 years after they recovered. These findings underscore the importance of developing a more broadly acting CD4+ T cell-centric vaccine that activates both cell-mediated and antibody immunity to protect against SARS-Co...