Janssen and Bavarian Nordic to collaborate on HPV vaccine
pharmafile | December 23, 2015 | News story | Research and Development |Â Â Bavarian Nordic, HPV, Janssen, Vaccine, human papillomavirus, prime boostÂ
Janssen has announced a new collaboration and license agreement with Bavarian Nordic to develop a vaccine for chronic Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infections which can lead to cancer.
Under the agreement Janssen will conduct all clinical development and, subject to regulatory approval, will be responsible for registering, distributing and commercialising the potential combination vaccine worldwide. The companies say they will look to leverage the Danish biotech’s MVA-BN technology, jointly with Janssen’s own AdVac technology,
With over 300 million estimated infections among men and women annually, HPV is the most prevalent sexually transmitted disease in the world. Despite a recent focus on the prevention of infection for certain HPV types, a large population remains at risk of HPV-related cancers.
Janssen says it will utilise the prime-boost approach, similar to that used in its Ebola vaccine regimen, which is currently in Phase III clinical trials. This approach sees patients receive a vaccine which primes the immune system, followed by a second vaccine several weeks later, which boosts the immune response. The prime-boost method has been shown to create a strong and longer-lasting immune response, demonstrated by both increased antibodies and T cell responses.
The companies aim to develop a therapeutic vaccine which will intercept HPV infection-related disease, particularly in women and men who are diagnosed with HPV early, by enhancing the ability of the immune system to treat chronic infections and prevent progression to cancer.
HPV-related cancers, which occur when a chronic infection of some HPV types cause changes to infected cells, are responsible for over 650,000 cases globally each year. HPV is the primary cause of cervical cancer and certain types of head and neck cancer, in addition to several rare cancers.
“HPV carries a significant disease burden, which can be addressed by intercepting disease progression and treating the viral infection,” says Johan Van Hoof, global head, infectious diseases and vaccines, Janssen. “We are bringing together our technology with that of Bavarian Nordic to develop a potentially first-in-class HPV vaccine which could advance human health by reducing the number of new cancer cases and associated deaths.”
Joel Levy
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