The combination of SCV-07 with the BCG vaccine resulted in a significantly superior protective effect against mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria that cause TB, compared with the administration of the BCG vaccine alone.
Scientists at Mycos Research evaluated three escalating doses of SCV-07 used in four different administration schedules to determine the optimal dose and treatment regimen.
The highest protection against mycobacterium tuberculosis was observed in the animals that received SCV-07 both before and after vaccination, at an intermediate dose. Animals given SCV-07 prior to TB vaccination demonstrated a better response than those given SCV-07 only after TB vaccination.
“These data suggest that SCV-07 primes the cellular immune response, so that, with subsequent TB vaccination the immune system is able to mount a stronger defense against the infection than it could with the vaccine alone,” commented Dr Cynthia Tuthill, chief scientific officer at SciClone.
“Furthermore, these findings suggest that SCV-07 could be valuable in other vaccine settings; for instance, the addition of SCV-07 could allow individuals to receive a lower quantity of a vaccine while still achieving effective protection against viral or bacterial infections,” continued Dr Tuthill.