ImmunoVaccine Technologies Partners with FIT Biotech to Advance a Therapeutic HIV Vaccine

ImmunoVaccine Technologies, Inc. (IVT, Halifax, Nova Scotia), a vaccine development company, has formed a research partnership with FIT Biotech (Tampere, Finland), a clinical stage company that develops DNA vaccines. This research will formulate FIT Biotech’s GTU MultiHIV DNA plasmid with IVT’s DepoVax vaccine delivery system to advance a therapeutic HIV vaccine.

The development of an human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) vaccine is complicated by the ability of the virus to mutate rapidly. FIT Biotech has addressed this challenge by designing a synthetic DNA plasmid, known as GTU MultiHIV, that covers the antigenic variability in HIV strains. GTU MultiHIV comprises the multi-epitope/multivalent HIV antigens. As FIT Biotech’s lead vaccine candidate, GTU MultiHIV has the potential to trigger an immune response that slows the progression of HIV in infected individuals.

IVT’s preclinical research demonstrates that DepoVax effectively delivers DNA plasmids into draining lymph nodes with as little as one dose. The DepoVax platform uses liposomes to encapsulate a target antigen, such as GTU MultiHIV, and an adjuvant. DepoVax also relies on a hydrophobic carrier to create a depot effect that significantly enhances vaccine-induced cell-mediated and humoral immunity.

This preclinical research partnership will combine the technologies of DepoVax and GTU MultiHIV. Both IVT and FIT Biotech will examine the vaccine’s capabilities of inducing cell-mediated and humoral immunity against the HIV virus.