HOOKIPA’s Gilead Sciences Collaboration for HIV and HBV Therapeutic Vaccines Advancing Towards Clinical Entry
January 06 2020 - 7:00AM
HOOKIPA Pharma Inc. (NASDAQ: HOOK, ‘HOOKIPA’), a company developing
a new class of immunotherapeutics targeting infectious diseases and
cancers based on its proprietary arenavirus platform, today
announced that HOOKIPA has made strong progress in its
collaboration with Gilead for novel arenavirus-based therapeutics
intended to support functional cures for chronic Hepatitis B virus
(HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections.
HOOKIPA and Gilead Sciences designed and tested
multiple arenaviral vectors expressing HIV and HBV immunogens,
optimizing each for potential preclinical immunogenicity, safety
and manufacturability. In 2019, HOOKIPA earned multiple Gilead
milestone payments for the delivery of research vectors and
advancing the programs closer to clinical studies. On the basis of
promising preclinical data, Gilead has committed to preparations to
advance the HBV and HIV vectors toward development, with the HBV
development decision triggering an additional milestone payment to
HOOKIPA. To enable the development activities and expanded research
programs, Gilead has agreed to reserve manufacturing capacity and
expanded the HOOKIPA resources allocated to the Gilead
collaboration.
About
HOOKIPA
HOOKIPA Pharma Inc. (NASDAQ: HOOK) is a clinical
stage biopharmaceutical company developing a new class of
immunotherapeutics, targeting infectious diseases and cancers based
on its proprietary arenavirus platform that is designed to
reprogram the body’s immune system.
HOOKIPA’s proprietary arenavirus-based
technologies, VaxWave®*, a replication-deficient viral vector, and
TheraT®*, a replication-attenuated viral vector, are designed to
induce robust antigen specific CD8+ T cells and
pathogen-neutralizing antibodies. Both technologies are designed to
allow for repeat administration to augment and refresh immune
responses. TheraT® has the potential to induce CD8+ T cell response
levels previously not achieved by other immuno-therapy approaches.
HOOKIPA’s “off-the-shelf” viral vectors target dendritic cells in
vivo to activate the immune system.
HOOKIPA’s VaxWave®-based prophylactic
Cytomegalovirus vaccine candidate is currently in a Phase 2
clinical trial in patients awaiting kidney transplantation from
living Cytomegalovirus-positive donors. To expand its infectious
disease portfolio, HOOKIPA has entered into a collaboration and
licensing agreement with Gilead Sciences, Inc. to jointly research
and develop functional cures for HIV and Hepatitis B
infections.
In addition, HOOKIPA is building a proprietary
immuno-oncology pipeline by targeting virally mediated cancer
antigens, self-antigens and next-generation antigens. The TheraT®
based lead oncology product candidates, HB-201 and HB-202, are in
development for the treatment of Human Papilloma Virus16-positive
cancers. The Phase 1/2 clinical trial for HB-201 was initiated in
December 2019. The HB-202 IND filing is intended for the first half
of 2020.
Find out more about HOOKIPA online at
www.hookipapharma.com.
*Registered in Europe; Pending in the US.
HOOKIPA Forward Looking
StatementsCertain statements set forth in this press
release constitute “forward-looking” statements within the meaning
of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as
amended. Forward-looking statements can be identified by terms such
as “believes,” “expects,” “plans,” “potential,” “would” or similar
expressions and the negative of those terms. Such forward-looking
statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties that could
cause HOOKIPA’s research and clinical development programs, future
results, performance or achievements to differ significantly from
those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such
risks and uncertainties include, among others, the uncertainties
inherent in the drug development process, including HOOKIPA’s
programs’ early stage of development, the process of designing and
conducting preclinical and clinical trials, the regulatory approval
processes, the timing of regulatory filings, the challenges
associated with manufacturing drug products, HOOKIPA’s ability to
successfully establish, protect and defend its intellectual
property and other matters that could affect the sufficiency of
existing cash to fund operations and HOOKIPA’s ability to achieve
the milestones under the agreement with Gilead. HOOKIPA undertakes
no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements.
For a further description of the risks and uncertainties that could
cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these
forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to the
business of the company in general, see HOOKIPA’s quarterly report
on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2019 which is
available on the Security and Exchange Commission’s website at
www.sec.gov and HOOKIPA’s website at
www.hookipapharma.com.
Investors and others should note that we
announce material financial information to our investors using our
investor relations website (https://ir.hookipapharma.com/), SEC
filings, press releases, public conference calls and webcasts. We
use these channels, as well as social media, to communicate with
our members and the public about our company, our services and
other issues. It is possible that the information we post on social
media could be deemed to be material information. Therefore, we
encourage investors, the media, and others interested in our
company to review the information we post on the U.S. social media
channels listed on our investor relations website.
For further information, please contact:
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Investors |
Nina Waibel |
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Matt Beck |
Senior Director - Communications |
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Executive Director – Investor Relations |
Nina.Waibel@HookipaPharma.com |
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Matthew.Beck@HookipaPharma.com |
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Media enquiries |
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Ashley Tapp |
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Instinctif Partners |
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Hookipa@Instinctif.com |
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+44 (0)20 7457 2020 |
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