Inovio Pharma (INO) says its Ebola vaccine provides 100% protection



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Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: INO) announced today that its Ebola vaccine (INO-4212) offered 100% protection following a challenge with a lethal dose of Ebola virus in the setting of a preclinical study. An article in the Infectious Diseases Journal stresses that the intravenous INO-4212 vaccine regimens of Inovio provided 100% protection against the deadly risk of Ebola in all preclinical subjects. Impressively, only two injections of simple, dose-saving intradermal administration generated strong immunogenicity and provided 100% protection against a lethal challenge caused by Ebola in a separate study. Scientists observed that vaccination induced long-term immune responses in monkeys detectable for at least one year after final vaccination.

Laurent Humeau, Ph.D., Inovio Senior Vice President, Research and Development, said: "Unlike all other Ebola vaccine candidates under development, INO-4212 is a vaccine that is stable at room temperature for one year. With these new data showing complete protection against the Ebola virus, coupled with impressive Phase 1 results for immune response and security, Inovio is well positioned to implement our overall development strategy by positioning INO- 4212 as a viable reserve vaccine. We are working with collaborators and potential new funders to advance INO-4212. "

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), infection with the Ebola virus is at the origin of a severe haemorrhagic fever whose mortality rate is greater than 50%. More than 11,000 people died in West Africa during an Ebola outbreak in 2014-2015. The WHO recently reported that the rate of new cases of Ebola in the Congo had more than doubled since September. The current outbreak is the 14th known outbreak of the Zairian strain of Ebola virus, known as epidemiology under the name of EBOV. This is the strain with the highest mortality rate; in most outbreaks, more than 60% of people with the disease die. Recent advances have led to the development of promising experimental vaccine candidates that may be associated with side effects and / or may not be applicable in specific vulnerable populations, such as children, pregnant women and immunocompromised individuals. In addition, it is necessary to strengthen these vaccines to provide long-term protection.

In a completed phase 1 trial of Ebola virus in healthy participants, 95% (170/179) of the evaluable subjects were shown to generate a specific immune response to the Ebola virus. It is important to note that the Inovio Ebola vaccine was well tolerated with a favorable safety profile compared with viral vector-based Ebola vaccines, some of which have been associated with serious adverse events such as myalgia, arthralgia, fever and rashes. In addition, their faster construction design, their ability to enhance immune responses and protection with additional administrations, their easier scalability and improved thermal stability make DNA vaccines an attractive platform for rapid response to infectious diseases. emerging markets.

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