The agreement will allow the company to assess its modified recombinant human albumin (rAlbumin) Veltis technology, to evaluate the dosing and performance of a novel subunit antigen vaccine candidate.
Novozymes Biopharma global head of Sales and Business Development Svend Licht said the collaborative research agreement with one of the leading vaccine companies showcases the potential application of the company’s proven albumin-based half-life extension technology in the vaccine space.
"The Veltis technology could overcome many of the limitations of current subunit vaccines, resulting in both improved healthcare and economic outcomes," Licht said.
The human immune system’s capability to respond effectively to replicating viruses means that some live attenuated vaccines are effective with a single dose and subunit vaccines are regarded as a safer and more specific alternative to live attenuated vaccines.
However, subunit vaccines are often limited by the requirement for multiple dosing and the need for adjuvants to improve the immune response.
Novozymes’ Albumin vaccine complex technology, based on the genetic fusion or conjugation of a subunit antigen to its sequence modified albumin variants, has been specifically designed to overcome these limitations by allowing the fused or conjugated antigenic species to remain in circulation for a longer period of time than the uncomplexed antigen.
The company said that Veltis’ long half-life is due to a receptor mediated recycling process in the cells lining blood vessels.