Exploiting the human immune response for the development of vaccines and therapeutic antibodies against infectious diseases

ITQB/IBET- Seminar

Title: Exploiting the human immune response for the development of vaccines and therapeutic antibodies against infectious diseases

Speaker: Andreas Meinke

Affiliation: Intercell

Host: Fátima Lopes- Head of  Stress by Antibiotics and Virulence of Enterococci Laboratory

Abstract:

Intercell AG is an innovative biotechnology company that was founded in 1998 and develops novel vaccines for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases with substantial unmet medical needs. For the development of novel vaccines, we employ an antigen discovery platform (AIP®), exploiting the natural human immune system in combination with genomic bacterial surface display libraries to identify novel protein targets. This has led to a number of vaccines currently in preclinical and clinical development, including a staphylococcal and pneumococcal vaccine. Our antiinfective monoclonal antibody discovery platform also builds on the natural human immune response to discover fully human antibodies for prophylactic or therapeutic treatment against pathogens such as influenza virus and Group B streptococcus. In addition to these two discovery platforms, Intercell developed its own adjuvant, IC31® for improvement of immune responses elicited by peptide, recombinant and other vaccines. The adjuvant is currently undergoing clinical testing with the TB vaccine from the Statens Serum Institut. Intercell’s novel patch based delivery system has recently been evaluated in a Phase III trial for traveler’s diarrhea. The Company’s pipeline of investigational products further includes a Pseudomonas aeruginosa vaccine candidate in Phase II as well as a combination treatment approach for Hepatitis C entering Phase II. Intercell’s vaccine to prevent Japanese Encephalitis is the Company’s first product on the market.