* The first participants have been dosed in SAFYR, a Phase I clinical trial to
test the safety and efficacy of two prophylactic vaccines developed with
AstriVax technology.
* The study will also provide clinical proof of concept for the company's
platform technology.
* Following these first-in-human data, AstriVax plans to advance its
immunotherapies for chronic Hepatitis B to clinical development.
Leuven - June 24, 2024 - The first participants have been dosed in a Phase I
clinical study to test the safety and efficacy of AstriVax's prophylactic
vaccines for yellow fever (AVX70120) and rabies (AVX70481) in healthy adults.
The first-in-human safety and immunogenicity data generated by this study will
be a stepping stone in advancing AstriVax immunotherapies to clear chronic
infections such as Hepatitis B and human papillomavirus (HPV) infections.
The company's first-in-human clinical study, called SAFYR, will be conducted in
two Belgium-based, world-class vaccine clinical trial sites: the Centre for
Vaccinology in Ghent and Vaccinopolis in Antwerp. The study will evaluate the
safety and characterize the immune response of the company's prophylactic
vaccines for yellow fever and rabies in close to 100 healthy adults aged 18 to
40. The results are also expected to provide clinical proof of concept for the
AstriVax vaccine platform.
Mathieu Peeters, MD, Chief Development Officer at AstriVax: "This clinical trial
evaluates our cutting-edge technology in a clinical proof-of-concept study. We
use plasmids that deliver live-attenuated virus vectors along with the target
viral antigen. This self-amplifying mechanism is designed to elicit strong and
long-lasting immune responses with only microdoses."
The novel AstriVax vaccines are potential game-changers in the fight against
viral pathogens. Developed with the company's innovative vaccine platform, they
are easy to produce, have limited cold chain requirements, and are expected to
trigger a strong and lasting immune response.
Paving the way for immunotherapies
Today, AstriVax is a clinical-stage company with a rich pipeline targeting viral
infections, including treatment of infectious diseases with critical unmet
medical needs like chronic Hepatitis B, which affects over 250 million people,
and HPV infections, a leading cause of cervical cancer.
Hanne Callewaert, Ph.D., CEO and co-founder of AstriVax: "Less than two years
ago, our journey began with solid, academically developed technology and a EUR30
million seed round. In May 2023, we were awarded a grant from Flanders
Innovation & Entrepreneurship (VLAIO) to further advance our technology. I'm
deeply grateful to my exceptional team for shaping the company into what it is
today, and I look forward to continuing our journey towards better global health
together. We anticipate our chronic hepatitis B immunotherapeutic will enter the
clinical phase in 2025, marking yet another significant milestone for AstriVax.
"
Media contact
Hanne Callewaert, Ph.D, CEO of Astrivax, corporate@astrivax.com
(mailto:corporate@astrivax.com).
About AstriVax
Founded in 2022, AstriVax NV aims to address global challenges in vaccinology
with its innovative plug-and-play vaccine platform. The company develops novel
prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines that are easy to produce, have reduced
cold chain requirements, and offer broad and long-lasting protection against
various infectious diseases. AstriVax is supported by well-known investors V-Bio
Ventures, Fund+, Flanders Future TechFund managed by PMV, Thuja Capital,
Ackermans & van Haaren, OMX Europe Venture Fund (Mérieux Equity Partners and
Korys), BNP Paribas Fortis Private Equity, and the KU Leuven Gemma Frisius Fund.
AstriVax is located in the BioHub in Leuven. For more information, please visit
astrivax.com (http://www.astrivax.com).
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