InnaVirVax: Bpifrance Provides Funding For The PROTHEVIH Program On The Therapeutic Vaccine VAC-3S
Evry, France, April 28, 2014 – InnaVirVax SA, a biopharmaceutical company specialised in the research and development of therapeutic and diagnostic innovations focused on immune dysregulation, today announced that its leadership of the PROTEVIH consortium, which is being funded by the French public agency Bpifrance under its Strategic Industrial Innovation programme. InnaVirVax is receiving support worth €6.3 million for this purpose.
The global budget of the PROTHEVIH programme (PROTECTION of the immune system by DIAGNOSIS and personalised THERAPY targeting the pathogenicity of HIV) is €9.4 million over 5 years, entirely funded by Bpifrance in the form of subsidies and refundable advance payments. Its objective is to respond to unsatisfied medical needs among HIV-infected patients.
The consortium seeks to accelerate the development of three solutions resulting from InnaVirVax's R&D pipeline:
- The vaccine candidate VAC-3S, developed by InnaVirVax, should represent a new therapeutic class which aims to preserve and restore the immune system of patients under a therapeutic approach that targets a functional cure goal. Initiated in 2008, development of this first-in-class therapeutic vaccine is currently in its phase II clinical studies.
- The companion test (CO-3S), developed by Diaxonhit in partnership with InnaVirVax, is designed to measure anti-3S antibody levels in patients treated with VAC-3S. It should thus be possible to measure the immune response to VAC-3S.
- The diagnostic test (DIAG-3S), developed by Diaxonhit in partnership with two INSERM research units, seeks to detect the anti-3S antibodies naturally present in HIV-infected patients. This test should constitute an early marker of disease progression.
As well as the lead company InnaVirVax, the PROTEVIH consortium includes Diaxonhit and two Joint Research Units: INSERM-Université Paris-Sud/CESP / U1018 at Hôpital Kremlin Bicêtre, and INSERM-Université de Bordeaux Segalen / ISPED - UMR 897.
Joël Crouzet, CEO of InnaVirVax declared: "We are delighted and stimulated by the trust Bpifrance has placed in us and all the talents that have joined us in the PROTEVIH programme. The ambition of this partnership is to respond to important medical challenges within a context of personalised medicine. It will also make a major contribution to the development of both InnaVirVax and Diaxonhit. I would like to thank Bpifrance and all of our partners for their support. We are extremely grateful to the ANRS because the consortium will be able to use the results concerning two of their clinical cohorts".
Marie Zwarg, Health Activities Manager in Bpifrance's Innovation Division, added: "We are proud to support InnaVirVax and Diaxonhit in this ambitious R&D programme. The novel therapeutic approach it proposes, which aims to restore the immune system functions of HIV-infected patients, represents a response to unsatisfied medical needs as HIV still remain a major worldwide public health issue".
About InnaVirVax
Based in the Genopole hub in Evry, InnaVirVax is a biopharmaceutical company researching and developing therapeutic and diagnostic solutions for diseases linked to the immune system. Through its research on immune dysregulations, the company has developed a pipeline of innovative products for use in HIV, infectious diseases and against chronic inflammatory diseases.
The most advanced project is a therapeutic vaccine (VAC-3S) for the treatment of HIV infections, which is in Phase IIa clinical development.
Founded in 2008, the company receives support from the French Ministry for Higher Education and Research, BpiFrance, the National Research Agency (ANR), the Ile-de-France Centre for Innovation, and investors including CapDecisif, G1J Ile-de-France, Pradeyrol Développement, Fa Dièse and the Fonds Régional de Co-Investissement Ile-de-France. For more information, visit our newly launched website: www.innavirvax.fr
About Bpifrance’s Strategic Industrial Innovation programme
The SII programme aims to encourage the emergence of European champions. It supports ambitious, innovative and collaborative industrial projects initiated by small and medium-sized companies (up to 5000 employees). These projects have a high potential in that they are focused on bringing breakthrough technologies to the marketplace, spurred on by support from the public purse. This support, generally of between €3 and €10 million, come in the form of subsidies and refundable advance payments. Created as a result of legislation at the end of 2012, Bpifrance (Banque Publique d’Investissement) is an offshoot of the collaboration between OSEO, FSI, CDC Entreprises and FSI Régions. Its two shareholders are the French State and the Caisse des Dépôts. Its remit is to support companies of all sizes, from their start-up phase to their IPO, through providing credit, guarantees and working capital. Bpifrance also offers enhanced support services for innovation, export and strategic acquisitions. It has 42 regional offices in France and is a unique contact point for entrepreneurs seeking financial support or investment funding. www.bpifrance.fr
About Diaxonhit
Diaxonhit (NYSE Alternext, FR0004054427, ALEHT) is a French fully integrated leader in the in vitro diagnostic field, involved from research to commercialization of specialty diagnostic products.
With many partnerships and a strong presence in hospitals, Diaxonhit has an extensive commercialization network. Through its affiliate, InGen, it commercializes and services, mostly under exclusivity agreements, in vitro diagnostic kits and advanced equipment. It operates mainly in the fields of transplantation, infectious diseases and autoimmunity, product quality control and rapid tests, including Tetanus Quick Stick ®, a proprietary product. InGen is the leading supplier in France of HLA tests manufactured by Thermo-Fisher/One Lambda, of which it is the largest distributor worldwide. The group also owns a diversified portfolio of products in development, including both innovative molecular and non-molecular diagnostics, covering three main specialty areas: transplantation, immuno-infection and cancer.
Diaxonhit headquarters are located in Paris and its affiliate in the Paris region. The Group is listed on NYSE Alternext in Paris and is part of the NYSE Alternext OSEO innovation index.
For more information, please visit: www.diaxonhit.com
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