ImmunoVaccine Technologies Inc. (IVT) Signs Agreement with La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology to Test the Application of DepoVax(TM) Technology to Battle Influenza
HALIFAX, March 27 /PRNewswire/ - ImmunoVaccine Technologies Inc. (IVT), a vaccine development company, has signed an agreement with the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology to test the application of its DepoVax(TM) vaccine delivery system to advance the development of vaccines against influenza and arenavirus.
La Jolla Institute researchers are developing epitope-based infectious disease vaccines. To support this effort, the Institute will be evaluating the application of DepoVax(TM) in proof-of-concepts models for influenza and arena virus. The La Jolla Institute is a non-profit biomedical research center and international leader in immunology research.
IVT's preclinical research shows that DepoVax(TM) can reduce the number of vaccine doses required for protective immunity to only one dose, and is capable of raising strong cellular and humoral responses. A single-dose rapid-response, DepoVax(TM)-based vaccine is a potential solution for effective control of an influenza outbreak on a global-scale.
"The La Jolla Institute is addressing an urgent need to develop influenza vaccines that offer broad protection against seasonal, epidemic and pandemic influenza," said Dr. Marc Mansour, vice president of R&D at IVT. "IVT is pleased to collaborate with Dr. Alessandro Sette's team and show the applicability of the DepoVax(TM) technology in multiple infectious disease models."
Influenza is easily transmittable and kills thousands each year. Worse still, influenza viruses undergo genetic mutations that can result in a novel virus to which the majority of the population lacks protective immunity and can eventually lead to new pandemic strains. There is currently a need for effective pandemic influenza vaccines with single dose capability to overcome the logistical challenge the world will face if a pandemic emerges.
ABOUT IVT
ImmunoVaccine Technologies Inc., winner of Canada's Top 10 Life Sciences Companies, is a privately held, vaccine development company. In 2007, IVT attended a World Health Organization (WHO) meeting on pandemic influenza and continues to present its patented DepoVax(TM) technology around the globe. Through its own research and in collaboration with partners, IVT creates vaccines with the potential to help save and improve lives around the world. www.immunovaccine.com.
CONTACT: Marc Mansour, Vice President, ImmunoVaccine Technologies Inc.,
(902) 492-1819, mm.ivt@immunovaccine.com; Jennifer Ayotte, Communications,
(902) 209-4704, jayotte@impactcommunications.ca