Heat Stable Ricin Toxin Vaccine Elicits Strong Immune Responses and Protects Animals from Ricin Intoxication
PRINCETON, NJ, USA I February 13, 2015 I Soligenix, Inc. (OTCQB: SNGX) (Soligenix or the Company), a late-stage biopharmaceutical company developing products that address unmet medical needs in the areas of inflammation, oncology and biodefense, announced today that it presented data from its recent preclinical study that demonstrated the efficacy and safety of its heat-stabilized ricin toxin vaccine (RiVax™) in a non-human primate (NHP) lethal aerosolized ricin exposure model. The data was presented in a poster session at the American Society of Microbiology (ASM) Biodefense and Emerging Diseases Research meeting on Wednesday, February 11, 2015 at Washington Marriott Wardman Park, 2660 Woodley Rd. NW in Washington, DC.
Soligenix has been developing RiVax™, its proprietary ricin toxin vaccine, in conjunction with its heat stabilization technology, ThermoVax™, as a heat-stable biodefense vaccine. Vaccination with RiVax™ protected all animals from acute lethal death due to aerosolized ricin exposure, in contrast to unvaccinated animals that died within 40 hours.
In the study, 12 animals were vaccinated with RiVax™ and 6 animals were given an injection of placebo (unvaccinated control). Each animal received 3 intramuscular injections, administered at time 0, 30 days and 60 days. Vaccination with RiVax™ was well tolerated with no evidence of elevated heart rate, respiration or temperature. All RiVax™-vaccinated animals generated neutralizing antibodies after the third injection. To fully test the efficacy of the vaccine, all animals were exposed to an aerosol of ricin toxin 3-5 times the amount that is known to result in death of untreated animals. All RiVax™-vaccinated animals survived exposure, while all unvaccinated control animals died within 40 hours, demonstrating a statistically significant (p<0.0001) improvement in survival. Moreover, the lungs of the RiVax™-vaccinated animals did not demonstrate any signs of irreversible damage, unlike those of the unvaccinated control animals.
“The improvement in both survival and morbidity with the use of this well-tolerated vaccine is a significant step forward in the development of RiVax™ for emergency preparedness use”, stated Oreola Donini, PhD, Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of Soligenix. “Previous studies with RiVax™ have demonstrated significantly enhanced thermostability indicating that cold chain storage will potentially not be required for this vaccine, enabling it to be stored and distributed at room temperature. RiVax™ is currently the subject of a preclinical and clinical development contract awarded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and worth up to $24.7 million over 6 years.”
About Ricin Toxin
Ricin toxin is a plant toxin thought to be a bioterror threat because of its stability and high potency as well as the large worldwide reservoir created as a by-product of castor oil production. Ricin comes in many forms like powder, mist, pill, or pellet. Ricin can also be dissolved in water and other liquids. As a poison, ricin is so potent that the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates the lethal dose in humans is about the size of a grain of salt. Exposure to ricin results in local tissue necrosis and general organ failure leading to death within several days of exposure, and is especially toxic when inhaled. Ricin is a ribosome inactivating protein (RIP) and a potent member of the AB family of toxins. The enzymatic ricin toxin A subunit (RTA) is an RNA-N-glycosidase which cleaves a specific adenine residue with eukaryotic 28S ribosomal RNA, leading to protein synthesis arrest and cell death.
There are currently no effective means to prevent the effects of ricin poisoning. The successful development of an effective vaccine against ricin toxin may act as a deterrent against the actual use of ricin as a biological weapon and could be used in rapid deployment scenarios in the event of a biological attack.
About RiVax™
RiVax™ is our proprietary vaccine candidate being developed to protect against exposure to ricin toxin, and if approved would be the first ricin vaccine. RiVax™ has demonstrated statistically significant (p < 0.0001) preclinical survival results in a lethal aerosol exposure non-human primate model, and has also been shown to be well tolerated and immunogenic in two Phase 1 clinical trials in healthy volunteers. A Phase 1A clinical trial was conducted with a formulation of RiVax™ that did not contain an adjuvant. This trial revealed dose dependent seroconversion as well as lack of toxicity of the molecule when administered intramuscularly to human volunteers. The adjuvant-free formulation of RiVax™ induced toxin neutralizing antibodies that lasted up to 127 days after the third vaccination in several individuals. To increase the longevity and magnitude of toxin neutralizing antibodies, RiVax™ was formulated with an adjuvant of aluminum salts (known colloquially as Alum) for a Phase 1B clinical trial. Alum is an adjuvant that is used in many human vaccines, including most vaccines used in infants. The results of the Phase 1B study indicated that Alum-adjuvanted RiVax™ was safe and well tolerated, and induced greater ricin neutralizing antibody levels in humans than adjuvant-free RiVax™. In preclinical animal studies, the Alum formulation of RiVax™ also induced higher titers and longer lasting antibodies than the adjuvant-free vaccine.
The development of RiVax™ has been sponsored through a series of grants from both NIAID and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which were awarded to Soligenix and to Dr. Ellen Vitetta and colleagues at the University of Texas Southwestern (UTSW) where the vaccine originated. Most recently, Soligenix was awarded a contract valued at up to $24.7 million by the US Department of Health and Human Service’s National Institutes of Health (NIH) (specifically funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases or NIAID) to advance the development of Soligenix’s thermostabilization technology, ThermoVax™, combined with the company’s ricin toxin vaccine, Rivax™ as a medical countermeasure (MCM) to prevent the effects of ricin exposure.
RiVax™ has been granted orphan drug designation by the FDA for the prevention of ricin intoxication.
About ThermoVax™
ThermoVax™ is a technology that is designed to eliminate the standard cold chain production, distribution and storage logistics required for most vaccines. Cold chain requirements add considerable cost to the production and storage of current conventional vaccines. According to the Biopharma Cold Chain Sourcebook of 2010, 98% of all vaccines (with a total value of $20.6 billion) require shipment through cold chain. Elimination of the cold chain would also enhance the utility of these vaccines for emerging markets and for other applications requiring but lacking reliable cold chain capabilities. Further, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that as much as 50% of all global vaccine doses are wasted because they are not kept within required temperature ranges. NIAID has also highlighted the priority of technologies for biodefense vaccines that focus on broad spectrum approaches including vaccine adjuvants and temperature stabilization for long shelf life, rapid onset of immunity, and surge capacity for production. For vaccines that are intended for long-term stockpiling, such as for use in biodefense or in pandemic situations, the utilization of ThermoVax™ has the potential to facilitate easier storage and distribution of Strategic National Stockpile vaccines in emergency situations.
The technology utilizes precise lyophilization of protein immunogens with conventional aluminum adjuvants in combination with secondary adjuvants for rapid onset of protective immunity with the fewest number of vaccinations. RiVax™ is extremely labile in liquid form requiring careful management under refrigerated conditions at 4 degrees Celsius (39 degrees Fahrenheit). By employing ThermoVax™ during their final formulation, it is possible to produce stable and potent vaccines that are capable of withstanding temperatures at least as high as 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) for up to one year.
The underlying technology has been developed by Drs. John Carpenter and Theodore Randolph at the University of Colorado. The vaccine technology has been developed to date in collaboration with SRI International, the University of Kansas, the Wadsworth Center of the New York State Department of Health, and the Tulane National Primate Research Center under the sponsorship of the cooperative grant from NIAID.
About Soligenix, Inc.
Soligenix is a late-stage biopharmaceutical company developing products that address unmet medical needs in the areas of inflammation, oncology and biodefense. Our BioTherapeutics business segment is developing SGX301 as a first-in-class photo-dynamic therapy utilizing safe visible light for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, proprietary formulations of oral beclomethasone 17,21-dipropionate (BDP) for the prevention/treatment of gastrointestinal (GI) disorders characterized by severe inflammation including pediatric Crohn’s disease (SGX203) and acute radiation enteritis (SGX201), and our novel innate defense regulator technology (SGX942) for the treatment of oral mucositis.
Our Vaccines/BioDefense business segment includes active development programs for RiVax™, our ricin toxin vaccine candidate, VeloThrax™, our anthrax vaccine candidate, OrbeShield™, our GI acute radiation syndrome therapeutic candidate and SGX101 and SGX943, our melioidosis therapeutic candidates. The development of our vaccine programs incorporates the use of our proprietary heat stabilization platform technology, known as ThermoVax™. Currently, this business segment is supported with up to $57 million in government grant and contract funding from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). Additionally, Soligenix has an exclusive worldwide collaboration with Intrexon Corporation (NYSE: XON) focused on the joint development of SGX101 for the treatment for melioidosis.
SOURCE: Soligenix
Post Views: 141
Heat Stable Ricin Toxin Vaccine Elicits Strong Immune Responses and Protects Animals from Ricin Intoxication
PRINCETON, NJ, USA I February 13, 2015 I Soligenix, Inc. (OTCQB: SNGX) (Soligenix or the Company), a late-stage biopharmaceutical company developing products that address unmet medical needs in the areas of inflammation, oncology and biodefense, announced today that it presented data from its recent preclinical study that demonstrated the efficacy and safety of its heat-stabilized ricin toxin vaccine (RiVax™) in a non-human primate (NHP) lethal aerosolized ricin exposure model. The data was presented in a poster session at the American Society of Microbiology (ASM) Biodefense and Emerging Diseases Research meeting on Wednesday, February 11, 2015 at Washington Marriott Wardman Park, 2660 Woodley Rd. NW in Washington, DC.
Soligenix has been developing RiVax™, its proprietary ricin toxin vaccine, in conjunction with its heat stabilization technology, ThermoVax™, as a heat-stable biodefense vaccine. Vaccination with RiVax™ protected all animals from acute lethal death due to aerosolized ricin exposure, in contrast to unvaccinated animals that died within 40 hours.
In the study, 12 animals were vaccinated with RiVax™ and 6 animals were given an injection of placebo (unvaccinated control). Each animal received 3 intramuscular injections, administered at time 0, 30 days and 60 days. Vaccination with RiVax™ was well tolerated with no evidence of elevated heart rate, respiration or temperature. All RiVax™-vaccinated animals generated neutralizing antibodies after the third injection. To fully test the efficacy of the vaccine, all animals were exposed to an aerosol of ricin toxin 3-5 times the amount that is known to result in death of untreated animals. All RiVax™-vaccinated animals survived exposure, while all unvaccinated control animals died within 40 hours, demonstrating a statistically significant (p<0.0001) improvement in survival. Moreover, the lungs of the RiVax™-vaccinated animals did not demonstrate any signs of irreversible damage, unlike those of the unvaccinated control animals.
“The improvement in both survival and morbidity with the use of this well-tolerated vaccine is a significant step forward in the development of RiVax™ for emergency preparedness use”, stated Oreola Donini, PhD, Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of Soligenix. “Previous studies with RiVax™ have demonstrated significantly enhanced thermostability indicating that cold chain storage will potentially not be required for this vaccine, enabling it to be stored and distributed at room temperature. RiVax™ is currently the subject of a preclinical and clinical development contract awarded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and worth up to $24.7 million over 6 years.”
About Ricin Toxin
Ricin toxin is a plant toxin thought to be a bioterror threat because of its stability and high potency as well as the large worldwide reservoir created as a by-product of castor oil production. Ricin comes in many forms like powder, mist, pill, or pellet. Ricin can also be dissolved in water and other liquids. As a poison, ricin is so potent that the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates the lethal dose in humans is about the size of a grain of salt. Exposure to ricin results in local tissue necrosis and general organ failure leading to death within several days of exposure, and is especially toxic when inhaled. Ricin is a ribosome inactivating protein (RIP) and a potent member of the AB family of toxins. The enzymatic ricin toxin A subunit (RTA) is an RNA-N-glycosidase which cleaves a specific adenine residue with eukaryotic 28S ribosomal RNA, leading to protein synthesis arrest and cell death.
There are currently no effective means to prevent the effects of ricin poisoning. The successful development of an effective vaccine against ricin toxin may act as a deterrent against the actual use of ricin as a biological weapon and could be used in rapid deployment scenarios in the event of a biological attack.
About RiVax™
RiVax™ is our proprietary vaccine candidate being developed to protect against exposure to ricin toxin, and if approved would be the first ricin vaccine. RiVax™ has demonstrated statistically significant (p < 0.0001) preclinical survival results in a lethal aerosol exposure non-human primate model, and has also been shown to be well tolerated and immunogenic in two Phase 1 clinical trials in healthy volunteers. A Phase 1A clinical trial was conducted with a formulation of RiVax™ that did not contain an adjuvant. This trial revealed dose dependent seroconversion as well as lack of toxicity of the molecule when administered intramuscularly to human volunteers. The adjuvant-free formulation of RiVax™ induced toxin neutralizing antibodies that lasted up to 127 days after the third vaccination in several individuals. To increase the longevity and magnitude of toxin neutralizing antibodies, RiVax™ was formulated with an adjuvant of aluminum salts (known colloquially as Alum) for a Phase 1B clinical trial. Alum is an adjuvant that is used in many human vaccines, including most vaccines used in infants. The results of the Phase 1B study indicated that Alum-adjuvanted RiVax™ was safe and well tolerated, and induced greater ricin neutralizing antibody levels in humans than adjuvant-free RiVax™. In preclinical animal studies, the Alum formulation of RiVax™ also induced higher titers and longer lasting antibodies than the adjuvant-free vaccine.
The development of RiVax™ has been sponsored through a series of grants from both NIAID and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which were awarded to Soligenix and to Dr. Ellen Vitetta and colleagues at the University of Texas Southwestern (UTSW) where the vaccine originated. Most recently, Soligenix was awarded a contract valued at up to $24.7 million by the US Department of Health and Human Service’s National Institutes of Health (NIH) (specifically funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases or NIAID) to advance the development of Soligenix’s thermostabilization technology, ThermoVax™, combined with the company’s ricin toxin vaccine, Rivax™ as a medical countermeasure (MCM) to prevent the effects of ricin exposure.
RiVax™ has been granted orphan drug designation by the FDA for the prevention of ricin intoxication.
About ThermoVax™
ThermoVax™ is a technology that is designed to eliminate the standard cold chain production, distribution and storage logistics required for most vaccines. Cold chain requirements add considerable cost to the production and storage of current conventional vaccines. According to the Biopharma Cold Chain Sourcebook of 2010, 98% of all vaccines (with a total value of $20.6 billion) require shipment through cold chain. Elimination of the cold chain would also enhance the utility of these vaccines for emerging markets and for other applications requiring but lacking reliable cold chain capabilities. Further, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that as much as 50% of all global vaccine doses are wasted because they are not kept within required temperature ranges. NIAID has also highlighted the priority of technologies for biodefense vaccines that focus on broad spectrum approaches including vaccine adjuvants and temperature stabilization for long shelf life, rapid onset of immunity, and surge capacity for production. For vaccines that are intended for long-term stockpiling, such as for use in biodefense or in pandemic situations, the utilization of ThermoVax™ has the potential to facilitate easier storage and distribution of Strategic National Stockpile vaccines in emergency situations.
The technology utilizes precise lyophilization of protein immunogens with conventional aluminum adjuvants in combination with secondary adjuvants for rapid onset of protective immunity with the fewest number of vaccinations. RiVax™ is extremely labile in liquid form requiring careful management under refrigerated conditions at 4 degrees Celsius (39 degrees Fahrenheit). By employing ThermoVax™ during their final formulation, it is possible to produce stable and potent vaccines that are capable of withstanding temperatures at least as high as 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) for up to one year.
The underlying technology has been developed by Drs. John Carpenter and Theodore Randolph at the University of Colorado. The vaccine technology has been developed to date in collaboration with SRI International, the University of Kansas, the Wadsworth Center of the New York State Department of Health, and the Tulane National Primate Research Center under the sponsorship of the cooperative grant from NIAID.
About Soligenix, Inc.
Soligenix is a late-stage biopharmaceutical company developing products that address unmet medical needs in the areas of inflammation, oncology and biodefense. Our BioTherapeutics business segment is developing SGX301 as a first-in-class photo-dynamic therapy utilizing safe visible light for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, proprietary formulations of oral beclomethasone 17,21-dipropionate (BDP) for the prevention/treatment of gastrointestinal (GI) disorders characterized by severe inflammation including pediatric Crohn’s disease (SGX203) and acute radiation enteritis (SGX201), and our novel innate defense regulator technology (SGX942) for the treatment of oral mucositis.
Our Vaccines/BioDefense business segment includes active development programs for RiVax™, our ricin toxin vaccine candidate, VeloThrax™, our anthrax vaccine candidate, OrbeShield™, our GI acute radiation syndrome therapeutic candidate and SGX101 and SGX943, our melioidosis therapeutic candidates. The development of our vaccine programs incorporates the use of our proprietary heat stabilization platform technology, known as ThermoVax™. Currently, this business segment is supported with up to $57 million in government grant and contract funding from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). Additionally, Soligenix has an exclusive worldwide collaboration with Intrexon Corporation (NYSE: XON) focused on the joint development of SGX101 for the treatment for melioidosis.
SOURCE: Soligenix
Post Views: 141
