Although VGX-410C was safe and well tolerated in patients in all three daily doses – 150, 300, and 600mg, one out of six patients in the 600mg dose group had HCV viral load reduction of 10 times or more (one log reduction).
Based on the study data and other on-going product development opportunities for VGX, the company has decided to suspend any further development of VGX-410C for HCV infection and concentrate its resources for a further development of more promising drug and vaccine candidates for infectious disease, including HIV and cancer.
The company plans to file three separate INDs for promising DNA vaccine candidates during the first two quarters of 2008: VGX-3100 – a therapeutic vaccine for human papilloma virus (HPV) as a treatment for cervical cancer, VGX-3200 – a therapeutic based on human growth hormone releasing hormone for cancer-related cachexia (wasting or heavy weight loss), and VGX-3400 – a pandemic avian flu vaccine. All of these vaccines are delivered by its patented CELLECTRA electroporation device, which just successfully completed its first tolerability studies in human volunteers.