Alopexx Vaccine Reports Successful Maternal Immunization Protecting Foals from an Intracellular Equine Pathogen Similar to Tuberculosis

CONCORD, Mass., July 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Alopexx Vaccine LLC today announced the publication of positive data for a veterinary vaccine demonstrating 91% protective efficacy in horse foals born to mares immunized in the last 3-6 weeks of pregnancy with its poly-N-acetyl glucosamine (PNAG)-induced antibody vaccine. The foals were challenged with live virulent Rhodococcus equi (R. equi) at approximately 4 weeks of age.  There are currently no licensed R. equi vaccines on the market. These results, which were published by investigators at Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine in the July 19, 2018 issue of PLOS Pathogens describe the ability of an antibody-inducing vaccine to provide protective immunity against intracellular pathogens, further supporting development of an R. equi equine vaccine as well as early clinical evaluation of a humanized monoclonal antibody to PNAG in patients with microbial infections such as tuberculosis.

"In this immunization-challenge study we demonstrated that maternal vaccination of pregnant mares elicits antibodies to the microbial polysaccharide, PNAG, that can mediate protection in their young foals against challenge with live, virulent R. equi, a common equine intracellular pathogen," said Gerald B. Pier, Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Microbiologist, Brigham and Women's Hospital. "More broadly, these data support the hypothesis that a PNAG-induced antibody vaccine could offer protection against intracellular bacterial pathogens, with the potential to provide benefit in both animal and human settings."

In the paper titled 'Antibody to Poly-N-acetyl glucosamine provides protection against intracellular pathogens: mechanism of action and validation in horse foals challenged with Rhodococcus equi', Dr. Pier and colleagues describe their findings from this immunization challenge study which led to the initiation of a Phase 1 clinical study utilizing a fully human PNAG antibody in patients with latent and new onset tuberculosis.

"These data further support our vision of unlocking the potential of PNAG-mediated vaccines and monoclonal antibodies in the prevention of serious and life-threatening microbial pathogens associated with infections," said Daniel Vlock, M.D., CEO of Alopexx.

About Alopexx Vaccines LLC
Alopexx Vaccines LLC, part of the Alopexx Enterprises portfolio of companies, specializes in the development of vaccines against a range of pathogens and infections. For more information please visit www.Alopexx.com.

Contacts:
Christine de los Reyes
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Gina Nugent, Nugent Communications
(Investors and Media)
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617-460-3579

SOURCE Alopexx Vaccine LLC