DelSite licenses technology for HIV vaccine

The vaccine will be developed using DelSite’s proprietary GelSite polymer delivery technology. As part of the agreement, DelSite will provide assistance in the vaccine formulation development.

DelSite said the objective of the program is to develop an effective peptide vaccine formulation that will not only enhance the immune system but will also remain stable at room temperature, be easily shipped and require no refrigeration. Financial terms were not disclosed.

GelSite’s safety and chemical properties enable it to bind to and stabilize proteins and peptides and can deliver a vaccine in either powder form or a liquid for injection.

AriaVax will be responsible for creating the peptide portion of the vaccine for preclinical studies. AriaVax’s Deadlock technology allows for the creation of new, small-molecule components of proteins that are termed conformationally-constrained peptides. In preclinical studies these molecules have been shown to elicit the kinds of broadly cross-reactive immune responses against HIV that are desirable in a vaccine.

AriaVax believes the GelSite polymer’s unique gelling properties could potentially enhance the potency of its vaccine candidates.

To date, there are no known HIV vaccines capable of providing the levels of sterilizing immunity needed to halt the spread of the disease.