Evry (France), Tempere (Finland), December 21, 2016 – InnaVirVax, a biopharmaceutical company specializing in research and development of immuno-therapeutics for HIV, and FIT Biotech announced today a collaboration combining their respective proprietary immunotherapies, VAC-3S and FIT-06, respectively. They consist of vaccines with different mechanism of action.
The goal of this collaboration is to develop a combination of immunotherapies towards the establishment of a functional cure for HIV. A functional cure for HIV is defined as a sustained remission, with preservation of immune function, and absence of viral replication without the need for continuous antiretroviral therapy. The field of HIV “cure” represents the cutting edge of HIV therapeutics, and would be expected to reduce the costs of care, adverse events and comorbidities that accompany current treatment of HIV infection. On the basis of studies to date, a combination immune therapy approach to induce remission will be required.
FIT-06 has the unique property of improving HIV-specific immune responses leading to a reduction in viral load, and an increase in CD4+ T cells. VAC-3S promotes immune restoration by improving CD4 homeostasis, and increases the CD4/CD8 ratio..ratio. The combination of these agents is anticipated to be synergistic, and lead to augmented immune function, and control of viral replication from the latent reservoir following the discontinuation of antiretroviral therapy.
FIT and InnaVirVax plan to start a phase II clinical trial in 2017 to evaluate the safety, tolerability, immunogenicity, and clinical efficacy of FIT’s DNA-based HIV vaccine in combination with InnaVirVax’s immunoprotective vaccine. InnaVirVax will conduct the clinical study, in full collaboration with FIT Biotech. The results will be co-owned by the two companies.
Upon successful completion of the study, the companies plan to jointly further develop this combination therapy for functional cure. This combination therapy will be partnered when appropriate to a pharmaceutical company that will further develop and market this innovative combination therapy.
Dr. James Kuo, FIT Biotech’s CEO, said: “We are excited to enter into this collaboration with InnaVirVax that combines two complementary therapeutic approaches to stimulate the immune system against HIV. We are hopeful that combining our two immunotherapies will benefit to patients.”
Dr. Joël Crouzet, InnaVirVax’s CEO, stated: “The key opinion leader have the vision that functional cure, a major medical need for people living with HIV and on combined anti-retroviral therapy, will be addressed by combining therapeutic approaches. This agreement between FIT and InnaVirVax is definitely in this mindset and we are excited to collaborate with FIT on a functional cure goal.”
About FIT Biotech:
FIT Biotech Oy is a biotechnology company established in 1995. The company develops and licenses its patented GTU® (Gene Transport Unit) vector technology for new-generation medical treatments. GTU® is a gene transport technology that meets an important medical challenge in the usability of gene therapy and DNA vaccines. FIT Biotech applies GTU® technology in its drug development programs. Application areas include cancer (gene therapy) and infectious diseases such as HIV and tuberculosis, as well as animal vaccines. FIT Biotech shares are listed on the First North Finland marketplace maintained by Nasdaq Helsinki Oy.
About InnaVirVax:
Located at the Genopole® of Evry, a Paris Biopark, InnaVirVax is a biopharmaceutical company specializing in research and development of therapeutic for HIV infection in which the company has developed a portfolio of innovative programs. Incorporated in 2008, the Company has since received support from the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research, Bpifrance (the French innovation agency), the French National Research Agency, the ‘Centre Francilien de l’Innovation’ and CapDecisif and G1J Ile-de-France, Pradeyrol Development, FaDiese, the FRCI, and pre-IPO InnaVirVax as investors. (www.innavirvax.fr)
