Nventa develops new vaccine adjuvant

Poly-ICR is a Toll-like Receptor 3 (TLR3) agonist that when combined with a disease-specific antigen can induce both cytotoxic (T-cell) and antibody (B-cell) immune responses against that antigen. According to the company, this novel and potent immunomodulator works with the immune system to induce dendritic cell maturation, along with a broad range of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, to facilitate the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases or cancer.

Data generated using Poly-ICR, in combination with a tumor-associated antigen, have demonstrated that the addition of the adjuvant potently increases the antigen-specific CD8 T-cell levels, while both inducing regression of tumors and preventing tumor growth in mouse models.

Nventa intends to incorporate Poly-ICR into its future CoVal therapeutic compound programs. The company is also currently in discussions with multiple vaccine developers worldwide and intends to grant access to Poly-ICR to such potential partners through license agreements.

Gregory McKee, president and CEO at Nventa, said: “The adjuvant’s exceptional preclinical profile suggests that it may elicit robust, antigen-specific cellular immune responses in humans, enhancing the effect of both therapeutic and prophylactic vaccines against targeted antigens and pathogens.”