VGX Pharmaceuticals Announces Agreement With the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative
VGX Pharmaceuticals to evaluate pDNA delivered via electroporation as a vaccine platform for Plasmodium antigens
Blue Bell, PA - March 23, 2008 -
VGX Pharmaceuticals (VGX), a developer of DNA vaccines and therapies against cancer and infectious diseases, announced today an agreement with the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI) to evaluate in a preclinical feasibility study VGX's SynConTM DNA vaccine development platform. More specifically, VGX will design and test DNA vaccine candidates using target antigens from Plasmodium species and deliver them intradermally using the CELLECTRA® constant current electroporation device. The collaboration brings together vaccine development and malaria experts from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and VGX.
Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite that results in one of the most severe human infections. People with malaria often experience fever, chills, and flu-like illness. Left untreated, they may develop severe complications and die. Each year about 250 million cases of malaria occur worldwide and close to one million people die, most of them young children in sub-Saharan Africa. A vaccine to prevent malaria infection or disease would complement currently available methods to treat or prevent malaria.
"As developers of novel vaccines and therapies, VGX and our collaborators have long been committed to using our technology to tackle global health problems like HIV/AIDS and cancer," stated Dr. J. Joseph Kim, President and CEO of VGX. "We are pleased to enter into this agreement with the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative to apply our promising SynConTM DNA vaccine development platform to malaria. Malaria remains a challenging and tremendously important area of medical research, and we value MVI's support to explore development of a novel preventive vaccine candidate."
VGX is developing the CELLECTRA® electroporation device to deliver a number of DNA vaccine and therapeutic candidates via both intradermal and intramuscular routes. Several VGX DNA vaccine candidates including PENNVAXTM-B as a preventative and therapeutic vaccine for HIV infection and VGX-3100 as a therapeutic vaccine for cervical cancer, are in Phase I clinical testing. VGX's robust R&D pipeline includes novel DNA vaccine candidates for other significant infectious disease targets including influenza, dengue, chikungunya, and hepatitis C viruses.
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About VGX Pharmaceuticals
VGX Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company with DNA vaccines and small molecule product candidates for the treatment of infectious diseases, cancer, and inflammatory diseases. VGX's clinical development programs include PENNVAXTM-B for HIV infection, which is in two separate Phase I clinical trials, as well as VGX-1027 for inflammatory diseases and VGX-3100, a DNA therapeutic vaccine for cervical cancer, both of which are also in Phase I clinical trials. In addition, VGX has filed an IND for VGX-3400, a DNA preventative vaccine for avian influenza. VGX has established a vertically-integrated DNA Vaccines and Therapies Platform with extensive capabilities including SynConTM DNA-based product candidates, the CELLECTRA® electroporation delivery device, and access to efficient cGMP plasmid manufacturing. Vertical control over key aspects of product development has enabled VGX to consistently develop multiple product candidates, from bench-to-IND filing, within one year. The product candidates and technology programs are protected by the VGX's extensive global intellectual property portfolio. The Company has entered into a definitive merger agreement with Inovio Biomedical Corporation (NYSE Alternext: INO). More information about VGX can be found at www.vgxp.com.