GeoVax扩大其MVA-VLP疫苗技术在多种免疫肿瘤学领域的应用

StephenW

GeoVax Expanding Application of its MVA-VLP Vaccine Technology with Multiple Collaborations in Immuno-oncology

ATLANTA, GA, Jan. 03, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GeoVax Labs, Inc. (OTCQB:GOVX), a biotechnology company developing human vaccines, announced today that it is collaborating with Vaxeal Holding SA on the expansion of GeoVax's cancer immunotherapy program.

GeoVax's immuno-oncology program is based on its Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA) Virus-Like Particle (VLP) platform, which generates noninfectious VLPs in the individual being vaccinated. Gene sequences of target antigens are inserted into the MVA genome which drives their expression in infected cells. In addition, GeoVax introduces into the viral genome matrix sequences that incorporate antigens into VLPs and simultaneously facilitate their budding from the membranes of infected cells. In this way, vaccination induces two pools of antigens as targets for the immune response - virus-infected cells and released VLPs. This strategy mimics a natural viral infection, triggering the body to produce a robust and durable immune response with involvement of both antibodies and T cells.

With many advanced types of cancer, certain tumor-associated antigens such as CEA (cancer embryonic antigen), PSA (prostate specific antigen) and MUC1 (cell surface associated mucin 1) are over-expressed (that is, produced in very large quantities) and aberrantly expressed (produced in abnormal forms). These antigens are often recognized as abnormal by patients' immune systems but are not sufficiently immunogenic to trigger an effective immune response against the tumor. The tumor antigens must be presented to the body in a different form, or in a different way, to enlist the patient's own immune system in fighting the cancer. GeoVax believes that its MVA-VLP platform may be able to do exactly this -- training a patient's own immune system to selectively seek and destroy the cancer cells bearing such antigens.

The collaboration between GeoVax and Vaxeal will include the design, construction, characterization and animal testing of vaccine candidates using GeoVax's MVA-VLP vaccine platform. Vaccine antigens will include Vaxeal's proprietary designed sequences.

Farshad Guirakhoo, PhD, GeoVax's Chief Scientific Officer, commented, "We are pleased to begin this collaboration with Vaxeal to further expand GeoVax's promising cancer immunotherapy program. This project will be complementary and mutually exclusive to our ongoing collaboration with ViaMune, Inc. for co-developing cancer immunotherapies based on the MUC1 tumor-associated antigen. We intend to pursue additional collaborations with leading research institutions and others with their novel cancer antigens or technologies suitable for use with our MVA-VLP platform."

"We are delighted to enter into this agreement with GeoVax to support its MVA-VLP- based vaccine, using Vaxeal proprietary tumor antigens, and its anticipated progression into clinical trials," said Ahmed Bouzidi, PhD, CEO of Vaxeal. "This agreement also shows that Vaxeal remains fully committed to developing novel immunotherapies that meet the growing need for improved cancer treatments."

About Vaxeal

Vaxeal Holding SA is headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland. The company, in partnership with leading international research institutes, is developing therapeutic vaccines in combination with immuno-modulatory drugs for the treatment of cancers and infectious diseases. The cutting-edge immunotherapies are protected by several patent families and initial programs have reached the pre-clinical stage in major disease segments. Visit www.vaxeal.net for more information.

About GeoVax

GeoVax Labs, Inc., is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing human vaccines against infectious diseases using its MVA-VLP vaccine platforms. The Company's HIV vaccine for the clade B epidemic in the Americas, Australia, Japan and Europe is advancing in human trials conducted by the HVTN. Preclinical programs are focused on preventive vaccines for Zika virus, hemorrhagic fever viruses (Ebola, Sudan, Marburg, and Lassa), and malaria, as well as therapeutic vaccines for HIV, chronic Hepatitis B infections and cancers. GeoVax's vaccine platform supports in vivo production of non-infectious VLPs from the cells of the very person receiving the vaccine, mimicking a natural infection and effectively stimulating both the humoral and cellular arms of the immune system to recognize, prevent, and control the target infection. For more information, visit www.geovax.com.

StephenW

GeoVax扩大其MVA-VLP疫苗技术在多种免疫肿瘤学领域的应用

美国商业资讯2008年1月3日亚特兰大消息 - GeoVax实验室公司（OTCQB：GOVX）是一家开发人类疫苗的生物技术公司，今天宣布，它正在与Vaxeal控股公司合作，扩大GeoVax的癌症免疫治疗程序。

GeoVax的免疫肿瘤学计划基于其改良的安卡拉痘苗病毒（MVA）病毒样颗粒（VLP）平台，其在接种疫苗的个体中产生非感染性VLP。将靶抗原的基因序列插入MVA基因组中，驱动它们在感染细胞中的表达。此外，GeoVax引入病毒基因组矩阵序列，将抗原整合到VLP中，同时促进其从受感染细胞的膜出芽。以这种方式，疫苗接种诱导两个抗原库作为免疫应答 - 病毒感染的细胞和释放的VLP的靶标。这种策略模拟天然的病毒感染，触发机体产生强大和持久的免疫反应，同时涉及抗体和T细胞。

对于许多晚期癌症类型，某些肿瘤相关抗原如CEA（癌症胚胎抗原），PSA（前列腺特异性抗原）和MUC1（与细胞表面相关的粘蛋白1）过度表达（即以非常大的量产生）并异常表达（以异常形式产生）。这些抗原通常被认为是患者免疫系统的异常，但是没有足够的免疫原性来触发针对肿瘤的有效免疫应答。肿瘤抗原必须以不同的形式或以不同的方式呈现给身体，以争取患者自身的免疫系统对抗癌症。 GeoVax认为，其MVA-VLP平台可以做到这一点 - 培养患者自身的免疫系统，选择性地寻找和破坏带有这种抗原的癌细胞。

GeoVax和Vaxeal之间的合作将包括使用GeoVax的MVA-VLP疫苗平台进行候选疫苗的设计，构建，表征和动物测试。疫苗抗原将包括Vaxeal专有的设计序列。

GeoVax公司首席科学家Farshad Guirakhoo博士评论说：“我们很高兴与Vaxeal开展这项合作，以进一步扩大GeoVax有希望的癌症免疫治疗项目。这个项目将与我们与ViaMune公司合作的co - 开发基于MUC1肿瘤相关抗原的癌症免疫疗法，我们打算与领先的研究机构和其他合作伙伴进一步合作，研究其新型癌症抗原或适用于我们的MVA-VLP平台的技术。

Vaxeal公司首席执行官Ahmed Bouzidi博士表示：“我们很高兴与GeoVax达成协议，以支持其使用Vaxeal专有肿瘤抗原的MVA-VLP疫苗，以及预期的临床试验进展。 “这项协议还表明，Vaxeal仍然致力于开发新的免疫疗法，以满足日益增长的癌症治疗需求。”

关于Vaxeal

Vaxeal Holding SA总部位于瑞士沃韦。该公司与国际领先的研究机构合作，正在开发与免疫调节药物联合用于治疗癌症和传染病的治疗性疫苗。尖端的免疫疗法受到多个专利家族的保护，最初的计划已经达到主要疾病的临床前阶段。访问www.vaxeal.net了解更多信息。

关于GeoVax

GeoVax实验室公司是一家临床阶段的生物技术公司，利用其MVA-VLP疫苗平台开发人类疫苗来预防传染性疾病。该公司在美洲，澳大利亚，日本和欧洲进行的乙型流行的艾滋病毒疫苗正在HVTN进行的人体试验中取得进展。临床前计划的重点是寨卡病毒，出血热病毒（埃博拉病毒，苏丹病毒，马尔堡病毒和拉萨病毒）和疟疾的预防性疫苗，以及艾滋病毒，慢性乙型肝炎感染和癌症的治疗性疫苗。 GeoVax的疫苗平台支持从接受疫苗的人的细胞体内生产非感染性VLPs，模拟自然感染并有效地刺激免疫系统的体液和细胞臂识别，预防和控制靶感染。欲了解更多信息，请访问www.geovax.com。