Tripep presents preliminary positive results from the first patient in the ongoing ChronVac-C® study
Tripep can today report on preliminary results from the first patient in the lowest dose group who has now completed the treatment against hepatitis C virus infection in the ongoing open study with the therapeutic vaccine ChronVac-C®. So far, the treatment has been safe. Samples taken before, during and after treatment show that before vaccination the patient did not have a detectable cell mediated immune response against hepatitis C virus but after completed treatment such an immune response became detectable. These results will be presented at a scientific conference on April 5th at the annual Royal Golden Jubilee Conference in Chonburi, Thailand.
”We are very happy that the first patient has now gone through the ChronVac-C® treatment without unexpected side effects and that we have also received data showing the appearance of a cell mediated immune response against the hepatitis C virus. It is known that patients who spontaneously clear their infection develop such an immune response. Therefore it is exciting and gratifying that ChronVac-C® is able to give rise to an immune response in the first patient. We now look forward to the forthcoming results from all patients in the study, particularly from those receiving a higher dose, where the animal studies showed a considerably more powerful immune response”, says Tripep’s CEO Jan Nilsson.
ChronVac-C® is a therapeutic vaccine, i.e. it is given to individuals already infected with the hepatitis C virus with the aim to clear the infection by boosting the immune response against the virus. Tripep’s ChronVac-C® vaccine is administered with Inovio’s Medpulser®DDS. Analysis of the immune response has been performed by ImmuSystems GmbH, in Münich and a more detailed immunological analysis will be conducted. The patient Tripep is reporting on today belongs to the group receiving the lowest dose. Presently five patients are treated in the study and no unexpected side effects have been observed.
The study is conducted at the Infectious Disease Clinic and the Center for Gastroenterology at the Karolinska University Hospital and entails a total of 12 patients divided into three dose groups with increasing doses of ChronVac-C®. Each patient receives four ChronVac-C® vaccinations one month apart. After the last vaccination the patients are followed for another six months. The main purpose of the study is to show that the treatment is safe, but also to test if the treatment boosts the host immune response to hepatitis C, and its effect on the virus replication in the liver. If the patient is completely virus-free six months after completed treatment then the patient is considered cured. The total market for therapies against hepatitis C infections is estimated to be over 2 billion dollars 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