NIAID Agrees to Test Universal Flu Vaccine Candidate

A French biotech company announced that it has secured an agreement with the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to further advance the development of its lead universal flu vaccine candidate, OVX836. 

Osivax said in a press release published on December 5, 2019, it will be utilizing NIAID’s suite of preclinical services for refined immunological assessments of OVX836. 

Tests will include flow cytometry analyses to refine cellular immune response evaluation, which will further characterize the CD4, CD8, and polyfunctionality of T cell immune responses in addition to what was previously planned for the study. 

These studies will allow Osvax to get a deeper and more comprehensive assessment of the vaccine’s immunological impact.

Osivax’s proprietary oligoDOM® technology enables OVX836 to target the NucleoProtein, a highly conserved antigen universally present in influenza, thus bypassing the challenge of having to update vaccines based on seasonal variations. 

Osivax is currently funding a Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating the OVX836 vaccine candidate.

“As an emerging biotech company, this agreement with the NIAID serves as an important validation of our innovative approach to creating a universal flu vaccine,” commented Alexandre Le Vert, CEO, and Co-founder of Osivax. 

“The clinical trial for OVX836 is an iterative process and the agreement with the NIAID helps us to better characterize the immune response from our lead candidate as we continue clinical testing and product development.”

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Osivax’s mission is to revolutionize influenza prevention with a universal flu vaccine for both current and future influenza infections by leveraging its unique oligoDOM® technology platform. For further information visit Osivax

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