$1.5 Million Grant Advances Broad-Spectrum Influenza Vaccine Candidate

Osivax today announced that it has received a grant of over $1.5 million from the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

The grant will support preclinical studies evaluating the breadth of protection and immune response induced by OVX836 against pandemic influenza strains.

OVX836 is a first-in-class influenza vaccine candidate that targets the nucleoprotein (NP), a highly conserved internal antigen. Unlike surface antigens, the NP is much less likely to mutate, providing a broader and more universal immune response.

OVX836 will be evaluated against two pandemic influenza A-strains in preclinical models: the once pandemic but now seasonal, pH1N1, and the highly pathogenic variant with pandemic potential, H5N1.

Osivax’s oligoDOM® technology enables the design and production of a recombinant version of the NP, which self-assembles into a nanoparticle, thus triggering powerful T- and B-cell immune responses.

OVX836 has been tested in 5 clinical trials with 1200 participants, showing promising safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy read-outs. 

“Receiving this grant from the NIAID will support our progress in developing OVX836 to provide broad-spectrum protection against influenza, which remains a perennial pandemic threat,” commented Alexandre Le Vert, Co-Founder and CEO of Osivax, in a December 5, 2023 press release.

“We believe that by generating these additional data against pandemic influenza strains, we will be able to bolster the positive results generated by OVX836 against seasonal strains, placing us on a strategic path toward future regulatory approval.”

Osivax also recently published the results of a Phase 2a dose-optimization study (OVX836-003) in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, showing efficacy in humans against seasonal strains.