VBI Vaccines’ Pan-Coronavirus Vaccine Candidate, VBI-2901, Induced Broad and Durable Protective Titers Against Variants of Concern
September 27 2023 - 6:30AM
Business Wire
- First clinical data from a pan-coronavirus vaccine
candidate
- Elicited high and sustained neutralizing responses against a
panel of COVID-19 variants, including Wuhan, Delta, Beta, Omicron
BA.5, as well as multiple animal coronaviruses including bat and
pangolin variants
- Durability of protective titers maintained through interim data
point at six months – substantially more persistent compared to
published durability of responses to a licensed mRNA vaccine1
- Safety consistent with known safety profile of VBI’s
proprietary eVLP platform technology, with no safety signals or
grade 3 or 4 adverse events observed
- Funds from existing partners, including the Canadian Government
and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI),
available to fund next phase of clinical development
VBI Vaccines Inc. (Nasdaq: VBIV) (VBI), a biopharmaceutical
company driven by immunology in the pursuit of powerful prevention
and treatment of disease, today announced interim data from the
Phase 1 clinical study of its multivalent pan-coronavirus vaccine
candidate, VBI-2901, which expresses the ancestral COVID-19, SARS,
and MERS spike antigens. The Phase 1 clinical study enrolled 101
adults, aged 18-64 years who had received either two or three doses
of a messenger RNA (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccine licensed by Health
Canada, and assessed both one and two dose booster regimens of
VBI-2901. Based on interim data, however, peak responses were
achieved with only a single 10µg dose of VBI-2901.
“As we’ve previously said, we endeavor to develop a vaccine with
meaningful differentiation to those COVID-19 vaccines already
approved – we believe these initial data are evidence of just that,
demonstrating an ability to safely broaden durable, protective
levels of immune responses and significantly boost neutralizing
responses in participants with low baseline antibody titers,” said
Jeff Baxter, VBI’s President and CEO. “With sufficient funding
available under our current partnerships, subject to discussions
with our partners and with regulatory bodies, we look forward to
advancing this program and being a part of the innovative
next-generation of protection against coronaviruses.”
Breadth of Immune Response
- All participants saw boosting and/or high neutralizing
responses against a panel of COVID-19 variants, including Wuhan,
Delta, Beta, Omicron BA.5, as well as multiple animal coronaviruses
including bat and pangolin variants
- Participants with low baseline neutralization titers (geometric
mean titer (GMT): 148 IU50/mL), who are at the highest risk of
infection, saw the greatest vaccine-induced boosting effects across
all variants tested at Day 28, after one dose, with increases of:
8.5x against Wuhan, 9.1x against Delta, 14.2x against Beta, and
5.8x against Omicron BA.5
Durability of Immune Response
- All participants who received one dose had enhanced persistence
of neutralizing responses, with only about 25% reduction in GMT
against Wuhan after 5 months vs. peak responses
- Similar enhanced durability trends were observed against all
tested variants
- By comparison, a recently published study [Gilboa et al., 2022]
evaluating immune responses after a third dose of a licensed mRNA
vaccine in nearly 4,000 healthcare workers in Israel demonstrated
an approximate 77% decline in GMT against Wuhan after 5 months vs.
peak responses1
- In the same study [Gilboa et al., 2022], durability trends
against other variants, including Omicron, were seen to wane even
more aggressively, with 4-fold to 10-fold lower neutralization
titers within 4 months of the third dose
About the Phase 1 Study
The Phase 1 randomized, open-label study enrolled 101 subjects
across three cohorts, randomized 1:1:1, to compare either two
intramuscular doses of VBI-2901 at a low- (5µg) or high- (10µg)
dose level, or one dose of VBI-2901 at the high-dose level (10µg)
healthy adults age 18-64 who have previously received two or three
immunizations with COVID-19 vaccines licensed by Health Canada.
Each participant had received their previous dose of a licensed
COVID-19 vaccine at least six months prior to study enrollment.
About VBI-2900 Coronavirus Vaccine Program
The VBI-2900 program consists of multiple undisclosed,
multivalent vaccine constructs developed using VBI’s proprietary
eVLP platform technology, in addition to the three candidates that
have generated clinical data: (1) VBI-2901, a multivalent
coronavirus vaccine expressing the ancestral SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV,
and MERS-CoV spike proteins, (2) VBI-2902, a monovalent COVID-19
vaccine expressing a modified prefusion form of the SARS-CoV-2
ancestral spike protein, and (3) VBI-2905, a monovalent COVID-19
vaccine expressing a modified prefusion form of the spike protein
from the Beta variant (B.1.351).
VBI’s coronavirus vaccine program has been developed through
collaborations with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC),
the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), and the
Government of Canada, through their Strategic Innovation Fund.
About VBI Vaccines Inc.
VBI Vaccines Inc. (“VBI”) is a biopharmaceutical company driven
by immunology in the pursuit of powerful prevention and treatment
of disease. Through its innovative approach to virus-like particles
(“VLPs”), including a proprietary enveloped VLP (“eVLP”) platform
technology, VBI develops vaccine candidates that mimic the natural
presentation of viruses, designed to elicit the innate power of the
human immune system. VBI is committed to targeting and overcoming
significant infectious diseases, including hepatitis B,
coronaviruses, and cytomegalovirus (CMV), as well as aggressive
cancers including glioblastoma (GBM). VBI is headquartered in
Cambridge, Massachusetts, with research operations in Ottawa,
Canada, and a research and manufacturing site in Rehovot,
Israel.
Website Home: http://www.vbivaccines.com/ News and Resources:
http://www.vbivaccines.com/news-and-resources/
Investors: http://www.vbivaccines.com/investors/
References
- Gilboa, Mayan, Regev-Yochay, Gili, Mandelboim, Michael et al.
Durability of Immune Response After COVID-19 Booster Vaccination
and Association With COVID-19 Omicron Infection. JAMA Network Open.
September, 2022
Cautionary Statement on Forward-looking Information
Certain statements in this press release that are
forward-looking and not statements of historical fact are
forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor
provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
and are forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian
securities laws (collectively, “forward-looking statements”). The
Company cautions that such forward-looking statements involve risks
and uncertainties that may materially affect the Company’s results
of operations. Such forward-looking statements are based on the
beliefs of management as well as assumptions made by and
information currently available to management. Actual results could
differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking
statements as a result of certain factors, including but not
limited to, the impact of general economic, industry or political
conditions in the United States or internationally; the impact of
the COVID-19 endemic and its continuing effects on our clinical
studies, manufacturing, business plan, and the global economy; the
ability to successfully manufacture and commercialize
PreHevbrio/PreHevbri; the ability to establish that potential
products are efficacious or safe in preclinical or clinical trials;
the ability to establish or maintain collaborations on the
development of pipeline candidates and the commercialization of
PreHevbrio/PreHevbri; the ability to obtain appropriate or
necessary regulatory approvals to market potential products; the
ability to obtain future funding for developmental products and
working capital and to obtain such funding on commercially
reasonable terms; the Company’s ability to manufacture product
candidates on a commercial scale or in collaborations with third
parties; changes in the size and nature of competitors; the ability
to retain key executives and scientists; and the ability to secure
and enforce legal rights related to the Company’s products. A
discussion of these and other factors, including risks and
uncertainties with respect to the Company, is set forth in the
Company’s filings with the SEC and the Canadian securities
authorities, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with
the SEC on March 13, 2023, and filed with the Canadian security
authorities at sedar.com on March 13, 2023, as may be supplemented
or amended by the Company’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Given
these risks, uncertainties and factors, you are cautioned not to
place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which are
qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. All such
forward-looking statements made herein are based on our current
expectations and we undertake no duty or obligation to update or
revise any forward-looking statements for any reason, except as
required by law.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230927612394/en/
VBI Nicole Anderson Director, Corporate Communications
& IR Phone: (617) 830-3031 x124 Email: IR@vbivaccines.com
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