ImmunoPrecise and LiteVax announced a preclinical study to analyze the immunogenicity, safety and potency of IPA's novel SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidates, when formulated with LiteVax's Adjuvant (LVA), has been granted funding by TRANSVAC2, which is expected to cover the complete costs of a preclinical vaccine study. TRANSVAC2 is a network of European groups working in the field of vaccine development, which itself is funded by the European Commission.
That effort is one of a number of preclinical programs currently being undertaken by IPA to assist in the efforts against SARS-CoV-2. On March 12th, 2020, IPA first announced details of its research on SARS-CoV-2 to develop a PolyTope monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy for the treatment of patients with COVID-19, which could also be used prophylactically in high risk patients who may have been exposed to the virus. The Company also disclosed its intent to develop a PolyTope vaccine, to be rationally designed based on large subsets of data obtained during the development of the PolyTope mAb Therapy. IPA then announced its intent to begin development of a SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic and then, on May 27th, 2020, IPA announced that, in collaboration with the University of Victoria, the Company had sought and received a grant from NSERC towards the costs to develop a SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic kit. Today's announcement aims to provide an update to the Company's progress on the first SARS-CoV-2 program announced by IPA, namely the efforts toward the development of a PolyTope vaccine.
The purpose of the collaboration announced today between IPA and LiteVax is to conduct a pre-clinical study to determine whether IPA's protein-based vaccine candidates, formulated with LVA (adjuvant), results in potent, neutralizing antibody responses that confer protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection in a swine animal model. IPA will supply protein-based vaccine candidates and LiteVax will supply its LVA. Both parties will retain full rights to their respective proprietary assets and know-how used for the study. It is anticipated that pre-clinical vaccine trials will begin in August, 2020, and that data will be compiled by mid-November, 2020. Should the preclinical study prove successful, IPA and LiteVax may then negotiate the terms for a preclinical study in a second animal model, as well as details the around the potential commercialization of any resulting vaccine.