Intravacc and Celonic Partner for COVID-19 Vaccine Development

Intravacc, a translational research and development company, and Celonic Group, a biopharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), announced on July 29, 2020 that they have signed a research agreement to design, develop, and produce a COVID-19 vaccine based on an immunogenic spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2 merged with Intravacc’s prorietary Outer Membrane Vesicle (OMV) technology.

According to an Intravacc press release, the companies will combine Intravacc’s OMV delivery platform with S-proteins with Celonic’s CHOvolution mammalian cell expression system to produce B and T-cell responses against SARS-CoV-2. Celonic Group will develop cell lines to produce the S-protein in high quantities and develop a GMP production process.

The collaboration will aim to fast-track the development of Intravacc’s COVID-19 OMV protein vaccine, which will enter clinical testing in 2021, the press release said.

“Several studies have shown that OMVs have the ability to enhance the immune response and can be relatively easy formulated with target specific peptides and proteins,” said Dr. Jan Groen, Intravacc’s CEO, in the press release. “This, combined with the fact they can be quickly scaled-up for manufacturing, makes it an ideal suited platform under the current circumstances where quantity and speed are critical.”

“At Celonic, we are thrilled to join hands with Intravacc in the fight against this worldwide pandemic,” added Dr. Konstantin Matentzoglu, CEO of Celonic, in the press release. “The novel vaccine has the potential to prevent morbidity and mortality of COVID-19. Together, we have an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of patients at this time of great need.”

Source: Intravacc