CEVEC Pharma and Vakzine Projekt Management Sign Exclusive License Agreement on the Clinical Development of a Novel Human Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Vaccine
CAP® Technology is based on an immortalized human cell line for vaccine and protein production developed by CEVEC for industrial use. The serum-free suspension culture of this proprietary cell line allows for high virus yields for a broad variety of human pathogenic viruses. CAP® cells are uniquely suited to produce vaccines against challenging viral targets like human CMV. The non-infectious dense bodies are considered to be one of the most promising new CMV vaccine approaches since they result in efficient and long-lasting immunity. The CMV dense body project is foreseen to enter clinical development within the next 18 months. CEVEC receives exclusive word-wide development and commercialization rights from VPM and VPM will substantially contribute by taking over development project management services for the project. The inventor of the CMV dense body technology, Prof. Dr. Plachter, an internationally reputed CMV expert, actively supports in the project as leading scientific expert.
“With VPM we are teaming up with a very reputed development partner in the field of state-of-the art vaccines for current high-medical need diseases like human CMV. We’re very pleased that VPM and CEVEC are combining our CAP® suspension cells as the enabling production platform with VPMs unique dense body technology. I’m convinced that the dense body technology and CAP® are a perfect match and the combined efforts will substantially shorten the timeline to enter clinical phases,“ stated Wolfgang Kintzel, CEO at CEVEC. "This project shows a scientific and commercial potential untapped in the field of currently pursued viral vaccine targets, " Dr. Rainer Lichtenberger, CFO/COO at CEVEC complements.
“It is a great success story in translational research for VPM and Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research that we were able to bring this early stage vaccine project from academia to industry. With the out-licensing of the CMV dense body project to CEVEC, VPM could again demonstrate that its translational business model is instrumental in developing promising vaccine candidates to a stage of maturity where they can envisage a full pharma development. Cooperating with Cevec will help this potentially live-saving vaccine to tap its full potential”, added Dr. Bernd Eisele CEO of VPM.
About CEVEC Pharmaceuticals GmbH
CEVEC Pharmaceuticals GmbH, operational since 2004 and located in Cologne, Germany, is a biopharmaceutical company that specializes in developing and producing therapeutic proteins, vaccines and monoclonal antibodies with human glycosylation patterns. CEVEC's novel proprietary and patent-protected human CAP® and CAP-TTM expression systems are ideal for manufacturing complex biopharmaceutical molecules and various vaccines. CEVEC is licensing out its human cell-based expression platform as well as its own biobetter candidates through partnerships with renowned pharmaceutical and biotech companies and is developing the CAP technology as a superior production platform to enable difficult to produce viral targets.
About VPM – Vakzine Projekt Management GmbH
VPM was founded in 2002 from Helmholtz-Center for Infection Research. VPM has been active in developing promising biopharmaceutical candidates from academic research. Several products, ranging from small molecules, recombinant proteins up to live vaccines and ATMPs, have successfully been brought into clinical phase I and II trials by VPM and its team members. VPM now offers its experience in translational project management and regulatory liason to its clients in Pharma, Biotech, and Academia. VPM moves developmental products to the clinical stage faster, more cost-efficiently, and with higher success rates.
Contacts:
Wolfgang Kintzel, CEO
CEVEC Pharmaceuticals GmbH
Gottfried-Hagen Straße 62
D-51105 Köln, Germany
fon +49 (0) 221-46 02 08 – 00
fax +49 (0) 221-46 02 08 – 01
info@cevec.com
www.cevec.com
Bernd Eisele, MD, CEO
Vakzine Projekt Management GmbH
Mellendorfer Straße 9
D-30625 Hannover, Germany
fon: +49 511 1699080
fax: +49 511 16990829
info@vakzine-manager.de
www.vakzine-manager.de