Tripep has received patent protection for administration of ChronVac-C® vaccine using electroporation
Yesterday, Tripep received a patent in the USA for use of the ChronVac-C® vaccine, administered by several different modalities, including electroporation, which is the administration technique developed by Inovio and that Tripep will use together with Inovio in the planned phase I/II trial in hepatitis C virus infected patients. In addition, the patent covers use of small fragments of ChronVac-C®, thereby providing a wider protection and a stronger ChronVac-C® patent portfolio.
“This patent means an over all protection for Tripep’s ChronVac-C® vaccine on the largest medical market in the world. We are very happy to strengthen the patent situation for ChronVac-C® in this significant way” says Jan Nilsson, CEO.
ChronVac-C® is a therapeutic vaccine, i.e. it is given to individuals already infected by the hepatitis C virus with the purpose of halting the infection by boosting the immune response. Following discussions with the Swedish Medical Products Agency during the spring 2007, Tripep has decided to start the clinical development program of ChronVac-C® with a combined phase I/II study in subjects previously infected with HCV. Phase I/II studies are typically performed in patients who carry the disease which makes it possible to evaluate potential side effects, as well as, efficacy of the drug.
Tripep’s ChronVac-C® vaccine, administered with Inovio’s Medpulser® DDS, has in an animal model proven to selectively wipe out hepatitis C virus protein producing liver cells. The total market for therapies against hepatitis C infections is estimated to over 2 billion dollars 2005 and is expected to grow to more than 8 billion dollars by 2015 according to Datamonitor.
For more information, please contact:
Jan Nilsson, CEO, Tripep AB
Tel: +46 8 449 84 80, mobile phone: +46 70 466 31 63
E-mail: jan.nilsson@tripep.se
Anders Vahlne, Head of Research, Tripep AB
Tel: +46 8 5858 1313, mobile phone: +46 709 28 05 28
E-mail: anders.vahlne@ki.se