IMV Updates Rapid Progress on COVID-19 Vaccine Program
14 Juli 2020 - 1:05PM
Business Wire
Received agreement with Health Canada on Phase 1 clinical study
design protocol which also includes older patients of 56 years and
above
Completed cGMP formulation and manufacturing process development
for clinical trials
Ready and prepared for Clinical Trial Application submission for
regulatory approval
IMV Inc. (Nasdaq: IMV; TSX: IMV), a clinical-stage
biopharmaceutical company pioneering a novel class of cancer
immunotherapies and vaccines against infectious diseases, provides
further details today on the Company’s rapid progress in developing
its candidate vaccine to prevent COVID-19 infection in response to
the global health threat posed by the novel coronavirus. “We are
working closely with regulatory agencies and our collaborators to
initiate clinical studies as quickly as possible. The design of the
phase 1 clinical study, agreed with Health Canada, is a randomized
controlled study, assessing the safety and immunogenicity of
DPX-COVID-19, in 84 healthy adults across two age cohorts: (1)
adults between 18-55 years old inclusive and (2) 56 and above. Two
dose levels of DPX-COVID-19 will be tested (25μg or 50μg). We are
pleased that Health Canada has welcomed the design of a phase 1
trial that includes this vulnerable population.” The rapid progress
in target selection, the vaccine formulation, manufacturing and
preclinical results so far not only demonstrate the potential of
our delivery platform, but also build on our previously reported
clinical data from a similarly designed vaccine against RSV, the
respiratory syncytial virus,” says Frederic Ors, Chief Executive
Officer at IMV. “Clinical results1 have shown our DPX-based vaccine
against RSV demonstrated a unique ability to generate safe and
long-lasting immune responses in older adults.” IMV’s candidate
vaccine, DPX-COVID-19, is based on IMV’s first-in-class delivery
platform that generates targeted and sustained immune response in
vivo. Fully synthetic, the vaccine candidate is designed to focus
the immune response on the weaknesses of the virus with the goal to
optimize safety and efficacy:
- DPX-COVID-19 is a formulation of the DPX
delivery platform with four complementary peptide antigens that
were selected for their high immunogenicity and ability to bind
non-overlapping areas on the virus spike and impact its infective
function in preclinical studies,
- Importantly, our selected targets are located outside of the
614 mutation which, according to recent research2,3has been
demonstrated to increase the virus’ ability to infect cells in
vitro and suggested to potentially reduce vaccine-induced immunity.
We believe our vaccine candidate would retain its potential
efficacy independently from current/future mutations of the virus
at this site,
Areas on the virus spike identified as potentially responsible
for vaccine-enhanced disease4 have been excluded from our target
selection to minimize safety risk.
Since the Company announced the selection of its candidate
vaccine on May 21st, the Company has made significant progress.
- Preclinical studies have demonstrated the capacity of
DPX-COVID-19 to induce strong immunogenicity including the binding
on target to the spike protein and viral neutralization,
- The Company has completed the current good manufacturing
practice (“cGMP”) formulation and manufacturing process development
for DPX-COVID-19, and
- Multiple batches have been successfully produced at IMV.
Next milestones are anticipated as we commence phase 1 clinical
trials this summer with results in the Fall of 2020. Once results
are published, we plan to initiate phase 2 clinical trials in the
second half of the year.
About DPX-COVID-19
DPX-COVID-19 is IMV’s vaccine candidate against the novel strain
of coronavirus that is responsible for the current pandemic. It is
a DPX-based formulation of multiple peptides of the SARS-CoV-2 that
generated early and strong immune responses in preclinical assays
in animal models. A first-in-human Phase 1 clinical study is
scheduled to initiate during summer 2020. Fully synthetic,
DPX-COVID-19 has the potential for fast and large-scale
manufacturing to supply a significant number of doses rapidly
compared to more conventional vaccines. For more information, visit
our dedicated webpage to the development of DPX-COVID-19.
About IMV
IMV Inc. is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated
to making immunotherapy more effective, more broadly applicable,
and more widely available to people facing cancer and other serious
diseases. IMV is pioneering a new class of cancer-targeted
immunotherapies and vaccines based on the Company’s proprietary
drug delivery platform. This patented technology leverages a novel
mechanism of action that enables the programming of immune cells in
vivo, which are aimed at generating powerful new synthetic
therapeutic capabilities. IMV’s lead candidate, DPX-Survivac, is a
T cell-activating immunotherapy that combines the utility of the
platform with a target: survivin. IMV is currently assessing
DPX-Survivac as a monotherapy in advanced ovarian cancer, as well
as a combination therapy in multiple clinical studies with Merck.
IMV is also developing a DPX-based vaccine to fight against
COVID-19. Visit www.imv-inc.com and connect with us on Twitter and
LinkedIn.
Cautionary Language Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking information under
applicable securities law. All information that addresses
activities or developments that we expect to occur in the future is
forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements are based
on the estimates and opinions of management on the date the
statements are made. In the press release, such forward-looking
statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding
the Company’s progress in developing a DPX-based vaccine candidate
against COVID-19, the Company’s belief that the DPX-based platform
creates the opportunity for production of a COVID-19 vaccine, the
Company’s belief in the potential efficacy of its DPX-based vaccine
against COVID-19, the potential benefits of a DPX-based vaccine
against COVID-19 as compared to other potential vaccines, the
anticipated timing of the Company’s preclinical assays, studies and
clinical trials and the release of any results therefrom related to
its DPX-based vaccine against COVID-19 and the expected impact of
COVID-19 on the Company’s other clinical studies and trials and its
operations generally. Such statements should not be regarded as a
representation that any of the plans will be achieved. Actual
results may differ materially from those set forth in this press
release due to risks and uncertainties affecting the Company and
its products.
The Company assumes no responsibility to update forward-looking
statements in this press release except as required by law. These
forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and
uncertainties and those risks and uncertainties include, but are
not limited to, the Company’s ability to develop a DPX-based
vaccine candidate against the COVID-19 through the successful and
timely completion of preclinical assays, studies and clinical
trials, the receipt of all regulatory approvals by the Company to
commence and then continue clinical studies and trials, and, if
successful, the commercialization of its proposed vaccine candidate
related to COVID-19, the Company’s ability to raise sufficient
capital, including potentially through grant awards available in
Canada, to fund such clinical studies and trials and the production
of any COVID-19 vaccine, the ultimate applicability of any
third-party research and studies in related coronavirus and SARS
studies and sequencing, the Company’s ability to enter into
agreements with the proposed lead investigators to assist in the
clinical development on its vaccine candidate related to COVID-19,
the Company’s ability to collaborate with governmental authorities
with respect to such clinical development, the coverage and
applicability of the Company’s intellectual property rights to any
vaccine candidate related to COVID-19, the ability of the Company
to manufacture any vaccine candidate related to COVID-19 rapidly
and at scale, the ability for the Company to accurately assess and
anticipate the impact of COVID-19 on the Company’s other clinical
studies and trials and operations generally and other risks
detailed from time to time in the Company’s ongoing filings and in
its annual information form filed with the Canadian regulatory
authorities on SEDAR as www.sedar.com and with the United States
Securities and Exchange Commission on EDGAR at www.sec.gov/edgar.
Investors are cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking
statements and are encouraged to read the Company’s continuous
disclosure documents which are available on SEDAR and on EDGAR.
1 Langley JM et al, The Journal of Infectious Diseases, August
2018
2 Zhang L et al, June 2020
3 Koyama T et al, Pathogens, April 2020
4 Padron-Regalado E et al, Infectious Diseases and Therapy,
April 2020
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200714005370/en/
Investor Relations Marc Jasmin, Senior Director,
Investor Relations, IMV O: (902) 492-1819 ext: 1042 M: (514)
617-9481 E: mjasmin@imv-inc.com Josh Rappaport, Director, Stern
IR O: (212) 362-1200 E: josh.rappaport@sternir.com Media
Delphine Davan, Director of Communications, IMV M: (514)
968-1046 E: ddavan@imv-inc.com
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