Ziphius Vaccines and Ghent University publish promising data from self-amplifying RNA platform in Molecular Therapy

The paper entitled “A dual-antigen self-amplifying RNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccine induces potent humoral and cellular immune responses and protects against SARS-CoV-2 variants through T cell mediated immunity” shows that Ziphius’ multi-antigenic self-amplifying RNA COVID-19 vaccine candidate induces a potent humoral and cellular immune response at low doses and protects against ancestral SARSCoV-2 and its beta B.1.351 variant via amplified dual antigen expression. Supported by our published results, we encourage redirecting focus toward the induction of multiple antigen-targeted cell-mediated and non-neutralizing humoral immunity in addition to neutralizing antibody responses to bypass waning antibody levels and attenuate infectious breakthrough and disease severity of future SARSCoV-2 variants.

Ziphius Vaccines is developing a proprietary, next-generation, self-amplifying RNA and carrier technology platform. The self-replicating and plug-and-play features of the platform is designed to enable efficient, versatile, and rapid responses to health threats by allowing for lower doses and the ability to code for any protein of interest.

This publication represents results from a collaboration between the scientific team at Ghent University and the R&D team at Ziphius Vaccines.

The paper can be found here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ymthe.2022.04.014.

Prof. dr. Niek Sanders, Laboratory of Gene Therapy Ghent University, commenting on today’s announcement, stated: “This dual-antigen saRNA vaccine candidate against original Wuhan SARS-CoV-2 has been shown to hold the capacity to neutralize multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants as it encodes two antigens: a spike (S) based antigen and the nucleocapsid (N) protein. The latter is a more conserved antigen that contains many T cell epitopes and allows for a broad protection against the variants under investigation. The data of this mRNA vaccine candidate are a first promising step towards a broad cross-protective vaccine against SARS-CoV-2”

Chris Cardon, CEO of Ziphius Vaccines, said: “Since the start of the vaccine development program in 2020, we were convinced that the ideal vaccine candidate should contain multiple antigens to tackle possible mutants. These pre-clinical data demonstrate that our COVID-19 vaccine candidate has the potential to be a cross protective vaccine and is an important validation our saRNA and carrier technology platform. We look forward to the further development of the program, in parallel with a broad and diversified pipeline of best-in-class vaccines and therapeutics candidates.”

About Ziphius Vaccines

Ziphius Vaccines is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing best-in-class vaccines and therapeutics based on its proprietary self-amplifying RNA and carrier technology platform. The Company has a portfolio of next generation vaccine candidates targeting infectious diseases and gene supplementation therapies in order to create a new generation of medicines. Headquartered in Ghent, Belgium, Ziphius Vaccines currently has strategic partnerships with experienced executives in the pharmaceutical industry that bring over 100 years of combined expertise in drug development.

To learn more, visit www.ziphius.org