Codagenix Secures U.S. Patent for Codon-Deoptimized RSV Vaccine Candidates

NEW YORK, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Codagenix Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing prophylactic vaccines and oncolytic virus therapies, today announced the issuance of a patent for a vaccine focused on human codon-deoptimized respiratory syncytial viruses (RSV) vaccine. Codagenix currently holds the exclusive license to this patent. The issuance of US Patent No. 10,695,414 broadens Codagenix's intellectual property portfolio, covering human codon deoptimization of the RSV F and/or G proteins of in a live-attenauted vaccine.  

Codagenix is currently investigating its live attenuated CodaVaxtm-RSV vaccine, an intranasally-administered vaccine for the prevention of RSV, in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 1 clinical trial.  Top line data from trial, which is designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of CodaVax^TM-RSV in adults up to age 75, is expected in Q2 2021.

CodaVax^TM-RSV, and all Codagenix vaccines, including COVI-VAC, the company's vaccine candidate for SARS-CoV-2, are designed using a proprietary Synthetic Attenuated Virus Engineering (SAVE) codon deoptimization platform.  The technology enables the synthesis of rationally attenuated vaccines that are non-pathogenic yet able to generate a robust T cell and antibody immune response that mimics response to the naturally occurring virus, effectively balancing safety, immunogenicity and manufacturability.  Codagenix's RSV vaccine has shown excellent safety and efficacy in non-human primate models, eliciting both antibody and cellular-based immune responses and protecting against RSV infection.

"The issuance of this patent expands Codagenix's intellectual property portfolio to include all modified RSV viruses in which the F and/or G genes carry more human deoptimized codons than the native virus," said CEO of Codagenix, J. Robert Coleman, PhD, MBA. "We have always had codon-deoptimization as part of our platform, and this latest issuance further solidifies the IP position around our RSV vaccine portfolio."

The patent on deoptimized RSV viruses builds on the patent family, covering modulation of replicative fitness of viruses by deoptimization of synonymous codons that is exclusively in-licensed by Codagenix for human and animal health.

About Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)ⁱ
Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. Most people recover in a week or two, but RSV can be serious, especially for infants and older adults. RSV is the most common cause of bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small airways in the lung) and pneumonia (infection of the lungs) in children younger than 1 year of age in the U.S. and is increasingly recognized as a cause of serious respiratory illness in elderly adults.

About Codagenix Inc.
Codagenix is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing prophylactic vaccines and oncolytic virus therapies. The company's breakthrough Synthetic Attenuated Virus Engineering (SAVE) platform utilizes a computer algorithm to recode the genomes of viruses and construct live-attenuated vaccines to prevent viral infections or treat solid tumors. Codagenix has demonstrated its live-attenuated viruses stimulate a robust T cell and antibody immune response but are non-pathogenic. Codagenix possesses a deep pipeline of clinical and pre-clinical programs including vaccine candidates for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 (COVI-VAC); respiratory syncytial virus (CodaVax^TM-RSV) in Phase I testing; influenza (CodaVax^TM-H1N1); dengue virus; and triple negative breast cancer (using a rationally designed virus). To date, as part of Phase 1 clinical studies, 194 healthy volunteers ranging in age from 18 to 75 years old have received Codagenix vaccines. Codagenix was founded based on technology developed in the laboratory of National Academy of Science member Dr. Eckard Wimmer at Stony Brook University, and is supported by Adjuvant Capital, TopSpin Partners, and Euclidean Capital. The company has ongoing research and license programs with various federal agencies.

Media Contacts:
Tiberend Strategic Advisors, Inc.
Johanna Bennett & Ingrid Mezo
[email protected] / 1-212-375-2686
[email protected] / 1-646-604-5150

ⁱ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/index.html

SOURCE Codagenix Inc.