- Mymetics virosome vaccine technology and HIV vaccine candidate to be used as basis to develop a scalable manufacturing process within 3.5 years
- Funding this project can represent a major innovation in the world of vaccine as more than 90% of the existing vaccines are dependent on the cold-chain
Epalinges, Switzerland, April 20, 2015 / B3C newswire / -- Mymetics Corporation (OTCQB: MYMX), a pioneer in the research and development of virosome-based vaccines to prevent transmission of human infectious diseases, announced today that its subsidiary Mymetics BV in the Netherlands is leading a consortium that has been selected to receive project grants with a total value of €8.4 million. A total of €5.3 million is funded as part of Horizon 2020, the European Union research and innovation framework program and up to €3.1 million of funding will be provided by the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) for the Swiss based consortium partners. The grants will fund the evaluation, development and manufacturing scale-up of thermo stable and cold-chain independent nano-pharmaceutical virosome-based vaccine candidates.
Of the total amount, €3.4 million is directly attributable to Mymetics activities, with the balance going to the consortium partners, Catalent UK Swindon Zydis Ltd, Chimera Biotec GmbH (Germany), Upperton Ltd. (UK) and Bachem AG (Switzerland).
“With more than 90% of the existing vaccines dependent on the cold-chain and the resulting detrimental impact on availability, efficacy and costs of these vaccines in developing countries, there is an undisputable need to innovate and manufacture vaccines that are stable and temperature independent” commented Ronald Kempers, CEO of Mymetics. “We are very pleased that our virosome vaccine technology and know-how has been recognized together with the skills and expertise of our EU consortium partners. Funding this project can represent a major innovation in vaccine development.”
The EU Horizon 2020 project is named MACIVIVA, which stands for “Manufacturing process for Cold-chain Independent Virosome-based Vaccines”. The project duration is in total 3.5 years and brings together the leading contract manufacturers and the relevant expertise for spray drying, freeze drying and analytical techniques from the pharmaceutical industry to develop a scalable manufacturing process to achieve thermo stable and cold-chain independent virosome based vaccines.
Dr. Sylvain Fleury, Mymetics CSO and overall MACIVIVA project coordinator stated, “We are very thankful for the EU Horizon 2020 and Swiss funding organizations to finance this very important innovation project in the world of vaccines. We look forward to work with our consortium partners to start the efforts on our promising virosome-based HIV vaccine candidate, with the overall objective to make this scalable and applicable for all our virosome based vaccines”.
The MACIVIVA project will receive €5.3 million funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 646122.
About Mymetics
Mymetics Corporation (OTCQB: MYMX) is a Swiss based biotechnology company, with a Research Lab in the Netherlands, focused on the development of next-generation preventative vaccines for infectious diseases. It currently has 5 vaccines in its pipeline: HIV-1/AIDS, intra-nasal Influenza, Malaria, Herpes Simplex Virus and the RSV vaccine.
Mymetics’ core technology and expertise are in the use of virosomes, lipid-based carriers containing functional fusion viral proteins and natural membrane proteins, in combination with rationally designed antigens. The company’s vaccines are designed to induce protection against early transmission and infection, focusing on the mucosal immune response as a first-line defense, which, for some pathogens, may be essential for the development of an effective prophylactic vaccine.
The company’s unique approach is being validated through partnerships with leading pharmaceutical or research organizations, including Astellas Pharma, PATH-MVI and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Mymetics is registered in the US and trades on the OTCQB venture stage marketplace.
Contacts
Mymetics Corporation
Ronald Kempers
CEO
Tel: +41 21 653 4535
Media:
Christophe Lamps
Senior Partner
Dynamics Group
Mobile: + 41 79 476 26 87
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Media US:
Michelle Linn
Linnden Communications
Phone: +1 774 696 38 03
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Forward looking statements
The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a "safe harbor" for forward-looking statements, which are identified by the words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "plan" and similar expressions. The statements contained herein which are not based on historical facts are forward-looking statements that involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could significantly affect our actual results, performance or achievements in the future and, accordingly, such actual results, performance or achievements may materially differ from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements made by or on our behalf. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks associated with our ability to successfully develop and protect our intellectual property, our ability to raise additional capital to fund future operations and compliance with applicable laws and changes in such laws and the administration of such laws. See Mymetics' most recent Form 10-K for a discussion of such risks, uncertainties and other factors. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward- looking statements which speak only as of the date the statements were made.