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NIH Awarded Intravacc $14.6 Million to Develop a Gonorrhea Vaccine
On October 5, 2022, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, a subset of the NIH, awarded Intravacc $14.6 million to develop an intranasal vaccine for gonorrhea.
Gonorrhea is one of the most common bacterial infections and is the third most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the United States. In an effort to mitigate disease spread, the NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious disease has awarded Intravacc $14.6 million to develop an intranasal vaccine for the disease.
According to the press release, the bacteria that causes gonorrhea is called Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG). The company states that it will use its proprietary outer membrane vesicle (OMV) platform to develop this vaccine.
These vesicles are sphere-shaped particles with immune-stimulating properties. “The OMVs can be designed with immunogenic peptides and/or proteins that stimulate effective adaptive immunity. The OMV carrier has been optimized to induce a more effective immune response against these newly introduced antigens. Intravacc has also developed genetic tools to increase the yield of the OMVs, reduce the toxicity and achieve the desired antigenic composition,” shared Intravacc in the press release.
The vaccine, called NGoXIM, comprises gonococcal OMVS and sustained-release microspheres, which will have recombinant human IL-12. Rather than an intramuscular injection, the vaccine can be delivered intranasally.
The company has already completed proof-of-concept studies in animal models. These studies yielded potent, lasting, and cross-protective immune responses.
"Together with our sub-contractor Therapyx, we are honored that NIH and NIAID have awarded us this contract, allowing both of us to demonstrate the safety and tolerability of our intranasal gonorrhea vaccine candidate, NGoXIM (Avacc 11),” said Jan Groen, PhD, and CEO of Intravacc, in the press release.
This vaccine, if successful, can provide an additional tool for clinicians and public health experts. According to the press announcement, gonorrhea is a high-priority disease for the WHO as iterations of the bacteria have become antibiotic-resistant. Considering the trajectory, preventative measures may be the only tool against gonorrhea in the future.
