Valneva and LimmaTech Awarded FDA Fast Track Designation for
Tetravalent Shigella Vaccine Candidate S4V
Saint Herblain (France) and Schlieren (Zurich), October 16, 2024
– Valneva SE (Nasdaq: VALN; Euronext Paris: VLA), a specialty
vaccine company, and LimmaTech Biologics AG, a clinical-stage
biotech company developing vaccines for the prevention of
life-threatening diseases, announced today that the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation to
Shigella4V (S4V), the world’s most clinically advanced tetravalent
bioconjugate shigellosis vaccine candidate, for which Valneva
obtained an exclusive worldwide license from LimmaTech.
Fast Track designation is granted by the FDA to
products under development that have the potential to treat serious
conditions and fill an unmet medical need. It is designed to
facilitate the clinical development and expedite the review of
important new products with the intention to get them to the people
who need them earlier1.
Thomas Lingelbach, Chief Executive
Officer of Valneva, commented, “Shigellosis is the second
leading cause of fatal diarrheal disease worldwide. However, there
is currently no approved Shigella vaccine and the
development of Shigella vaccines has been identified as a
priority by the World Health Organization (WHO). Fast Track
designation allows us to work closely with the FDA to accelerate
our efforts to deliver a preventative solution against this deadly
disease.”
Dr. Franz-Werner Haas, Chief Executive
Officer of LimmaTech, stated, “We are highly encouraged by
the FDA’s Fast Track designation, which reinforces our efforts and
underscores the significant potential of the S4V Shigella
vaccine candidate to address a serious global health threat.”
It is estimated that up to 165 million cases of
disease and an estimated 600,000 deaths are attributed to
Shigella each year, particularly among children in Low-
and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). Shigellosis also affects
international travelers from high-income countries and deployed
military personnel in endemic regions.
In August 2024, Valneva entered into a strategic partnership and
exclusive licensing agreement with LimmaTech2 for the
development, manufacturing and commercialization of S4V. Following
positive Phase 1/2 results3 earlier this year, LimmaTech
will conduct a Phase 2 Controlled Human Infection Model study
(CHIM) in the U.S. and a Phase 2 pediatric study in LMICs, both
expected to begin before the end of 2024. Valneva will assume all
further development, including CMC (chemistry, manufacturing and
controls) and regulatory activities, and be responsible for its
commercialization worldwide, if approved.
The anticipated regulatory pathway for S4V will
leverage a combination of CHIM studies to support potential initial
approval in adults followed by field efficacy studies to
potentially expand the indication to children.
About Shigellosis
Shigellosis is a global health threat caused by the Gram-negative
Shigella bacteria. It is estimated that up to 165 million
infections4 are due to Shigella of which 62.3
million occur in children younger than five years. Diarrheal
infection is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in
numerous countries as well as in travelers and deployed military
personnel in endemic regions. There are an estimated 600,000 deaths
attributed to Shigella each year and it is the second
leading cause for diarrheal deaths5. The standard
treatment for shigellosis is oral rehydration and antibiotic
therapy, however, the bacteria have acquired resistance to many
antibiotics with numerous reports of outbreaks of
multidrug-resistant strains, making treatment extremely difficult.
Currently, no licensed Shigella vaccine is available.
About Valneva SE
We are a specialty vaccine company that
develops, manufactures, and commercializes prophylactic vaccines
for infectious diseases addressing unmet medical needs. We take a
highly specialized and targeted approach, applying our deep
expertise across multiple vaccine modalities, focused on providing
either first-, best- or only-in-class vaccine solutions.
We have a strong track record, having advanced multiple vaccines
from early R&D to approvals, and currently market three
proprietary travel vaccines, including the world’s first and only
chikungunya vaccine, as well as certain third-party vaccines.
Revenues from our growing commercial business help fuel the
continued advancement of our vaccine pipeline. This includes the
only Lyme disease vaccine candidate in advanced clinical
development, which is partnered with Pfizer, the world’s most
clinically advanced Shigella vaccine candidate, as well as vaccine
candidates against the Zika virus and other global public health
threats. More information is available at www.valneva.com.
About LimmaTech Biologics
AG
LimmaTech Biologics is at the forefront of combating the global
antimicrobial resistance epidemic based on its unparalleled track
record in vaccine technology and clinical candidate development.
The company is leveraging its proprietary self-adjuvanting and
multi-antigen vaccine platform alongside additional
disease-specific vaccine approaches to prevent increasingly
untreatable microbial infections. With decades of expertise and an
expanding, robust pipeline, the LimmaTech team is dedicated to
generating protective solutions to deliver transformative value
worldwide. LimmaTech Biologics is backed by specialist healthcare
investors, including Adjuvant Capital, AXA IM Alts, Novo Holdings
REPAIR Impact Fund, and Tenmile.
For more information, please visit www.lmtbio.com.
Valneva
Investor and Media Contacts
Laetitia Bachelot-Fontaine
VP Global Communications & European Investor Relations
M +33 (0)6 4516 7099
laetitia.bachelot-fontaine@valneva.com |
Joshua Drumm, Ph.D.
VP Global Investor Relations
M +001 917 815 4520
joshua.drumm@valneva.com |
For LimmaTech
LimmaTech Biologics AG
Franz-Werner Haas, CEO
E-mail: media@lmtbio.com
For media enquiries
Trophic Communications
Gretchen Schweitzer or Alison Opalko
Phone: +49 172 861 8540
E-mail: limmatech@trophic.eu
Forward-Looking Statements
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forward-looking statements relating to the business of Valneva,
including with respect to financial results for 2024; mid-term
revenue and cash outlook; the progress, timing, results and
completion of research, development and clinical trials for product
candidates; regulatory approval of product candidates and requested
label extensions; and review of existing products. In addition,
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1 Fast Track | FDA
2 2024_08_01_VLA_LMTB_S4V_PR_EN_Final.pdf
(lmtbio.com)
3
20240221_LimmaTech_Shigella-Interim-Data-PR_Final.pdf
(lmtbio.com)
4Shigellosis | CDC Yellow Book 2024
5 Shigellosis | CDC Yellow Book 2024
- 2024_10-16_S4V_FDA_FastTrack_PR_EN_Final
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