Vaxart Reports Positive Topline Results in Norovirus Vaccine Trial in Lactating Women
Vaxart, Inc. (Nasdaq: VXRT) has reported positive topline results from a Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating its oral pill bivalent norovirus vaccine candidate in lactating women. The company’s long-term goal is to provide protection to infants through passive antibody transfer through their mother’s breast milk. Vaxart’s share price settled up 6.91% in trading on Thursday as the market responded to the news.
The study demonstrated that antibodies to norovirus rose on average 4.0 fold (G1.1 virus strain) and 6.0 fold (GII.4 virus strain) in the breast milk of lactating mothers who received the Vaxart vaccine candidate in the high dose group.
“This is an important step forward as we drive toward a vaccine candidate that may make it possible for mothers to protect their children against this highly contagious – and potentially lethal – virus. It can be difficult to immunize the youngest of children mucosally because the immune system is still developing. Passive transfer of antibodies from mothers to infants via breast milk is an innovative approach to potentially improve infection resistance in infants,” said Dr. James F. Cummings, Vaxart’s Chief Medical Officer.
Norovirus affects approximately 21 million people in the United States each year and has no approved vaccine. Vaxart stated there were no vaccine-related serious adverse events (SAEs) and no dose-limiting pharmacotoxicity as a result of dosing in the study.
The multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled single dose, dose-ranging study was conducted in South Africa, and was partially funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
About Vaxart
Vaxart is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a range of oral recombinant vaccines based on its proprietary delivery platform. Vaxart vaccines are designed to be administered using pills that can be stored and shipped without refrigeration and eliminate the risk of needle-stick injury. Vaxart believes that its proprietary pill vaccine delivery platform is suitable to deliver recombinant vaccines, positioning the company to develop oral versions of currently marketed vaccines and to design recombinant vaccines for new indications. Vaxart’s development programs currently include pill vaccines designed to protect against coronavirus, norovirus, and influenza, as well as a therapeutic vaccine for human papillomavirus (HPV), Vaxart’s first immune-oncology indication. Vaxart has filed broad domestic and international patent applications covering its proprietary technology and creations for oral vaccination using adenovirus and TLR3 agonists.
