Eurocine Vaccines AB (“Eurocine Vaccines”) confirms good immunological effect in a preclinical animal study with its chlamydia vaccine candidate. The study confirms that an adapted variant of the vaccine, designed to meet the regulatory requirements for a finished product, is highly immunogenic. The good immunological effect of the tested vaccine surpasses, by a good margin, what in previous studies with our vaccine has provided protection in preclinical models.
In the current study, a chlamydia vaccine candidate, adapted to meet regulatory requirements, has been evaluated. The study shows that Eurocine Vaccines´ chlamydia vaccine candidate, after adaptation, remains highly immunogenic and focuses the immune response to the relevant parts of the chlamydia bacterium. The antibodies that the vaccine induces bind to the same parts of the chlamydia bacterium surface as protective antibodies.Two different doses have been evaluated, both of which showed good immunogenicity. This study thus lays the foundation for further preclinical studies to determine the right doses in our planned clinical studies.“By optimizing the vaccine candidate, we can focus the immune response so that the antibodies formed bind to relevant parts of the chlamydia bacterium to an even greater extent than before. This is probably of great importance for how effective the vaccine is, which will be studied in future studies,” says Dr. Karl Ljungberg, Director of Preclinical Development at Eurocine Vaccines. “Now we will move forward with the vaccine candidate and evaluate both the immune response of T cells and protection against infection and disease. It will be very exciting to see to what extent the immune response is converted into protection,” continues Karl Ljungberg.“The results confirm that we are on the right track with the vaccine and support the strategy we have chosen for the development – to already at this stage invest in the development of a manufacturing method, suitable for manufacturing on an industrial scale,” says Dr. Hans Arwidsson, CEO of Eurocine Vaccines. “This confirmation is an important step ahead of further development of the chlamydia vaccine candidate towards the first clinical study,” continues Hans Arwidsson.
About the market potential for a chlamydia vaccine
Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted bacterial disease where preventive vaccines are lacking on the market today. The global sales potential for a successful chlamydia vaccine is considered to be comparable to the sales of HPV vaccines, Gardasil and Cervarix. Together, these vaccines sold for more than $ 2.5 billion in 2017 and are expected to reach $ 5 billion by 2024, according to Globe Life Sciences Ltd. (London, UK), a company specializing in market analysis.
About the need for a chlamydia vaccine
Chlamydia infection is the most common type of sexually transmitted infection and the majority of sexually transmitted chlamydia shows no symptoms. It is estimated that 130 million cases of chlamydia infection occur globally each year. The infection can, especially in women, lead to severe complications, such as infertility, ectopic pregnancy, and premature birth. In addition, chlamydia infection can lead to increased susceptibility to other sexually transmitted diseases. Therefore, there is a strong need for preventive vaccines against chlamydia, a need that has also been identified by the WHO. Despite that, there are only two products against chlamydia in clinical phase, one of which is a preventive vaccine candidate.
Furthermore, effective vaccines and vaccination programs against bacterial infections are one of the best ways to counteract the development of antibiotic resistance, a serious threat to global health.