Low cost, Broad Spectrum Cancer Vaccine Targeting Human Papillomavirus

Project Summary. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a major public health concern due to 1) its implication in cancers of the anus, cervix, oropharynx, penis, vulva, and vagina; 2) global economic burden, and 3) vastly disproportionate impact on low-to-middle-income countries (LMIC). HPV-related cancers are responsible for

4.5% of all new cancer cases worldwide, and 90% of HPV-related cervical cancer deaths occur in LMIC. The global economic burden of HPV is especially serious in LMIC where cervical screening and vaccination is not easily obtainable. Only 1% of LMIC have vaccination programs and current vaccines are limited in their breadth

of protection. The most broadly protective vaccine on the market, Merck’s Gardasil-9, only protects against nine HPV strains and does not protect against strains that are prevalent in LMIC, such as HPV-35. Current vaccines are also costly and challenging to distribute to LMIC due to their thermal stability and 3-dose regimen. The

limitations of current vaccines and burden of HPV on LMIC underscores the need for new cheaper HPV vaccines that can be effectively deployed in LMIC. VaxSyna, Inc addresses this need with an HPV vaccine candidate that is low-cost, broadly protective, and efficacious with a targeted two-dose schedule. Our vaccine candidate

displays the highly conserved HPV L2 antigen on our patented platform that uses virus like particles (VLP) and recombinant immune complexes (RIC). The HPV L2 antigen has been shown to protect against up to 22 types of HPV in mice and rabbits and has been evaluated in human phase I trials. Our vaccine is produced using an

optimized plant expression system that lowers the manufacturing cost (estimated at less than $0.5/dose vs. $160/dose for Gardasil-9), thereby producing high levels of proteins in 4-5 days without human or animal pathogen contamination. Preclinical, mouse vaccination studies with our candidate have confirmed its efficacy

in generating high antibody titers and viral neutralization in as little as two doses. Further tests of our vaccine platform have shown that protective immunity is possible without the need of a chemical adjuvant. The goal of this STTR phase I project is to conduct proof-of-concept studies to characterize the formulation of VaxSyna’s

HPV cancer vaccine as a broad-spectrum HPV vaccine that targets all clinically relevant HPVs. Temperature stability is an important characteristic for vaccines that are targeted for LMIC. As such, our Aim 1 will assess the thermal stability of both our VLP and RIC vaccine components. If one platform is more stable than the other, we

will adjust our vaccine formulation accordingly in Aim 2. Aim 2 will compare the antibody and neutralizing antibody titers produced after mouse vaccination with varying ratios of VLP to RIC as compared to Gardasil-9. The successful completion of this Phase I project is critical to initiate our proposed Phase II studies involving pre-IND

GMP manufacturing strategies and testing within the same animal models used to validate current vaccines. Upon successful approval of VaxSyna’s HPV vaccine, our advantages of low costs and broad-spectrum protection will position VaxSyna to prevent HPV-caused cancers for individuals in LMIC.