On December 7, 2021 BioVaxys Technology Corp. (CSE: BIOV, FRA:5LB,OTCQB:BVAXF) ("BioVaxys" or "Company"), a clinical-stage immunotherapy company developing novel approaches to harness T cells to treat cancer and to detect and prevent emerging infectious diseases, reported that it has entered into a major sponsored research collaboration with The Ohio State University ("Ohio State") to further develop BioVaxys’ haptenized viral antigen platform to create a broadly reactive pan-sarbecovirus vaccine (Press release, BioVaxys Technology, DEC 7, 2021, View Source [SID1234596553]). This is the second research collaboration in the SARS-CoV-2 field between BioVaxys and Ohio State, a leading global academic research institute in the fight against SARS-CoV-2. Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center serves as a site for SARS-CoV-2 multicenter clinical trials.
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Sarbecoviruses, a subset of the Coronaviridae family, include the emerging SARS2 variants Delta and Omicron. Sarbecoviruses are responsible for two pandemics in less than 20 years including SARS-CoV-1 (SARS1) in 2003 and the current Covid-19 pandemic. Additional SARS-like viruses are continuously being found in nature reservoirs.
Kenneth Kovan, President and Chief Operating Officer of BioVaxys, said, "The repeated emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants and the potential for new coronaviruses increases the urgency for a universal vaccine. Research suggests that a pan-sarbecovirus vaccine could potentially prevent additional emergent variants and help end the Covid-19 pandemic."
The collaboration will leverage BioVaxys’ proprietary haptenized viral antigen platform to create a broadly reactive pan-sarbecovirus vaccine composed of hapten-modified S-spike protein from SARS-CoV-2 and a hapten-modified S-protein from SARS-CoV-1. Ohio State will conduct animal studies with BVX-0320, BioVaxys’ haptenized SARS-CoV-2 S1 protein vaccine and a new haptenized SARS-CoV-1 S1 protein vaccine from BioVaxys. The study will screen the combination for virus-neutralizing antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV-1, and other sarbecoviruses, including bat SARS-related CoV and pangolin CoV. Initial data are expected by Spring 2022.
The clinical goal of the program is to stimulate virus cross-reactivity and induce immunity against all or most sarbecoviruses by immunizing people who have convalesced from a documented Covid-19 infection or received a full course of any Covid-19 vaccine, leading to a pan-sarbecovirus vaccine that encompasses current and emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants.
The study will be led by virologist Qiuhong Wang, PhD, Associate Professor, Center for Food Animal Health, Department of Animal Sciences, College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences and Department of Veterinary Preventative Medicine at Ohio State. Dr. Wang’s research program focuses on the study of enteric caliciviruses and coronaviruses. She received her Bachelor of Medicine from Beijing Medical University, Master of Science from the University of Tokyo, doctorate from Ohio State University and completed postdoctoral training at the Medical College of Wisconsin.
BioVaxys recently filed a patent application for its haptenized viral antigen vaccine platform to elicit a broad cross-reactive immune response against most or all sarbecoviruses.
For greater certainty, BioVaxys is not making any express or implied claims that the Company can currently treat COVID-19.