Vaxart Announces Publication in Vaccines of Preclinical Data Supporting the Potential of its Mucosal Vaccine Technology Platform in Enabling Therapeutic Vaccination for HPV-Related Cervical Dysplasia
- Data show that Vaxart's HPV vaccine constructs stimulate specific T cell immune responses, reduce tumor size, and increase survival in an animal model of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related tumorigenesis -
- Results suggest that Vaxart's mucosal vaccine platform holds promise in enabling a novel, non-invasive treatment for HPV-related cervical dysplasia -
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Aug. 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vaxart, Inc. (NASDAQ:VXRT) today announced the publication of preclinical data demonstrating the potential of its mucosal vaccine technology platform in enabling therapeutic vaccination against HPV-related cervical dysplasia. The data show that Vaxart's HPV vaccine constructs can stimulate a potent immune response against the HPV16 proteins E6 and E7 that are known to transform healthy cells into malignant cells. The data, reported in the current issue of Vaccines, also shows that administration of a mucosal vaccine against these proteins in mice with HPV-expressing tumors led to reductions in tumor size and increased survival.
Persistent HPV infection plays a causative role in most cases of cervical dysplasia, which leads to cervical cancers if left untreated. While prophylactic HPV vaccines are highly effective if administered prior to infection; they have not demonstrated a therapeutic effect on established infections.
"The preclinical data published in Vaccines demonstrate that our mucosal vaccines stimulate T cells to destroy HPV-expressing cells, reducing the size of HPV-derived tumors and increasing the survival of mice bearing these tumors," said Dr. Sean Tucker, Vaxart's Founder and Chief Scientific Officer. "While additional studies are needed to further characterize the immune stimulating and anti-tumor activity of our HPV-vaccine, these initial findings suggest that our mucosal vaccine platform could open the door to a non-invasive approach designed to prevent the progression to cervical cancer. As our mucosal vaccine candidates can be administered easily and are stable at room temperature, they also have potential to address global inequities associated with the treatment of HPV-related cancers."
In this study published in Vaccines, the therapeutic potential of this platform was assessed in mice bearing HPV-expressing tumors. Animals were treated with vaccine candidates expressing wildtype E6 and E7 antigens from HPV16, engineered E6 and E7 that disrupt their malignant transformation potential, and fragments of E6 and E7 predicted to stimulate an immune response. Key findings from the study include:
- All vaccines generated a specific T cell response to HPV16 E6 and E7 in mice.
- All vaccines caused significant reductions in tumor volume and increased survival compared to control groups.
- Concurrent administration of anti-PD-1 with vaccination further increased animal survival in small and large tumor models compared to vaccination alone.
- Vaccination led to significant increases in intra-tumoral T cells, including T cells that create a cytotoxic tumor environment, compared with an empty control vaccine.
- Vaccination led to the generation of antigen-specific cytotoxic T cells.
These results suggest that rAd5 vaccines delivered to a mucosal surface may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of HPV-derived cervical dysplasia and might be used to stimulate immune responses against other cancer-related proteins. Vaxart is continuing to evaluate its HPV vaccine candidates.
About Vaxart
Vaxart is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a range of oral recombinant vaccines based on its proprietary delivery platform. Vaxart vaccines are designed to be administered using pills that can be stored and shipped without refrigeration and eliminate the risk of needle-stick injury. Vaxart believes that its proprietary pill vaccine delivery platform is suitable to deliver recombinant vaccines, positioning the company to develop oral versions of currently marketed vaccines and to design recombinant vaccines for new indications. Vaxart's development programs currently include pill vaccines designed to protect against coronavirus, norovirus and influenza, as well as a therapeutic vaccine for human papillomavirus (HPV), Vaxart's first immune-oncology indication. Vaxart has filed broad domestic and international patent applications covering its proprietary technology and creations for oral vaccination using adenovirus and dsRNA agonists.
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Contacts
Vaxart Media Relations:
Mark Herr
Vaxart, Inc
[email protected]
(203) 517-8957
Investor Relations:
Matt Steinberg
FINN Partners
[email protected]
(646) 871-8481
