New Biotech Launches With Focus On Novel Conjugate Vaccines
Thanks to a $4 million dollar investment by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), Affinivax announced its launch. The brand new biotechnology company will develop novel conjugate vaccines based on its newly purchased license Multiple Antigen Presenting System (MAPS).
The BMGF seed-money was used to purchase the license for MAPS from Boston Children’s Hospital, where it was developed by Richard Malley, Affinvax’s scientific founder.
According to the WHO, conjugate vaccines are especially useful because of their ability to elicit immune system memory and because they reduce risk of vaccinated people carrying and spreading the bacteria asymptomatically. Additionally, they possess an extremely high safety profile.
MAPS vaccine technology can be applied to a number of different diseases, particularly those caused by mucosal pathogens which require both antibodies and T-cells to bolster immune protection. The MAPS vaccine combines both approaches into one vaccine.
According to the Affinivax, a MAPS vaccine is simpler and more efficient than other conjugate vaccines currently in clinical use and offers an even broader immune response.
Streptococcus pnemoniae will be the company’s first target for treatment development. The WHO confirms that acute respiratory infections are the leading cause of death in children. Despite progress, researchers at Kalorama report that over 2 million children die each year from vaccine-preventable disease.
Trevor Mundel, president of Global Health at BMGF, explains, “It is unacceptable that pneumonia remains the leading cause of death among children under five.”
If Affinivax succeeds in meeting certain milestones with their research and development, more money will be granted from BMGF for the development of other similarly designed vaccines to fight other diseases. Affinivax confirms that they have established proof-of-concept for several MAPS vaccines.
Researchers are almost halfway through what was named in 2010, the Decade of Vaccines, a plan to increase vaccine coverage and innovation by meeting certain milestones by 2020.