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Tonix Pharmaceuticals Initiates Enrollment in Clinical Trial of TNX-2100, a Diagnostic Skin Test to Measure Functional T Cell Immunity to SARS-CoV-2
Potential Uses Include: Biomarker of Immunity to SARS-CoV-2; Personalized Approach to Timing COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters; Public Health Surveillance; and
About this update from Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp.
[{"type":"text","content":"Potential Uses Include: Biomarker of Immunity to SARS-CoV-2; Personalized Approach to Timing COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters; Public Health Surveillance; and Serving as an Endpoint for COVID-19 Vaccine Trials Topline Data Expected in First Half 2022 CHATHAM, N.J., Jan. 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. (Nasdaq: TNXP) (Tonix or the Company), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, today announced that the first participant was enrolled in a dose-finding study for TNX-2100 (SARS-CoV-2 epitope peptide mixtures for intradermal administration), an in vivo skin test to measure delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) to SARS-CoV-2 (CoV-2), the virus that causes COVID-19. DTH is a measure of functional T cell immunity. “The SARS-CoV-2 skin test is designed to measure T cell immunity,” said Seth Lederman, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Tonix Pharmaceuticals. “In other infectious diseases, T cell immunity prevents serious disease and blocks forward transmission. Because antibodies are easier to measure, there has been more discussion about antibodies rather than T cells as a biomarker of immunity to SARS-CoV-2. However, T cells, not antibodies, are the body’s major defense against viruses. The skin test has the potential to serve as: 1) a biomarker for T cell protective immunity and durability of vaccine protection; 2) a personalized approach for vaccine boosters; 3) a method to stratify participants in COVID-19 vaccine trials with a more complete picture of immune status; 4) an endpoint in COVID-19 vaccine trials for vaccines that elicit T cell immunity, and 5) public health surveillance. We believe the TNX-2100 skin test has the potential to address the unmet need for a rapid, sensitive, and specific test that may indicate current or past infection with SARS-CoV-2 and potentially predict protective immunity. We also believe the skin test has the potential to inform strategies to protect individuals and communities from COVID-19.” T cell immunity to SARS-CoV-2 is believed to provide an important element of protective immunity against serious COVID-19 illness after infection with SARS-CoV-2. T cell immunity to several viruses is known to persist substantially longer than antibody immunity, often present when there is no measurable antibody response, and in many cases provides a more durable protective immunity t...