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Overview |
ViciniVax’ approach: ViciniVax developed Vvax001 based on an attenuated, recombinant Semliki Forest virus (SFV). SFV represents an excellent platform for generating efficient vector systems for transient high-level gene expression for therapeutic cancer immunization:
- SFV has a very favorable biosafety profile
- SFV induces high-level antigen expression
- after 48-72 hours of protein expression, the infected SFV cells die by apoptosis resulting in apoptotic bodies containing high levels of the recombinant protein
- SFV activates both the innate and the adaptive immune system
- since SFV is a rodent virus, humans in general do not carry neutralizing antibodies against the virus that may decrease the efficacy of the immunization
The ViciniVax products depend on the patent family WO02/29074, filed October 8, 2001, of which the priority is based on EP1195438 filed October 6, 2000. The ViciniVax patent is owned by the University of Groningen, with whom we have established an exclusive use and transfer agreement. In both the USA and Europe patents have been granted (USA 7,198,792/Europe EP137066B1) with the broadest claims giving protection for “A Semliki Forest Virus vector system comprising a nucleic acid encoding at least one antigenic polypeptide fragment from protein E6 and/or E7 of a human papilloma virus”. |
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