HDT bio's Rapid-Response Roadmap for RNA vaccines
(R4) project granted a five-year subaward for
$2M per year
SEATTLE, Sept. 17,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- HDT Bio Corp., a clinical-stage
biopharmaceutical company specializing in advanced RNA vaccine
technologies, is proud to announce its pivotal role in PROVIDENT
(Prepositioning Optimized Strategies for Vaccines and
Immunotherapeutics Against Diverse Emerging Infectious Threats), a
national consortium led by Albert Einstein
College of Medicine and funded by the National Institute of
Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) as part of the Research and
Development of Vaccines and Monoclonal Antibodies for Pandemic
Preparedness (ReVAMPP) Network.
HDT Bio will focus on developing "road maps" for the rapid
creation of RNA vaccines against pathogens with pandemic potential,
harnessing the company's proprietary AMPLIFY™ self-amplifying
replicon RNA (repRNA) platform and LION™ nanoparticle delivery
system. The combination of these two technologies offers increased
vaccine potency, durability, and stability, while simplifying
production—critical features for addressing emerging infectious
threats quickly and effectively.
"We are excited to contribute our expertise in RNA vaccine
technologies to the PROVIDENT consortium," said Steve Reed, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of
HDT Bio. "Our AMPLIFY™ and LION™ platforms have demonstrated their
ability to rapidly generate potent, durable immune responses with a
favorable safety profile. These innovations will be essential in
preparing for future pandemics, where speed and flexibility in
vaccine development will save lives."
As part of the PROVIDENT initiative, HDT Bio will develop a
comprehensive strategy to create RNA vaccines capable of targeting
pathogens across multiple viral families, focusing particularly on
rapid adaptability to emerging "virus X" scenarios. This aligns
with PROVIDENT's broader goals of safeguarding public health by
advancing platforms that can be quickly tailored to respond to
novel viral threats.
"It is currently unknown if the state-of-the-art approaches used
to design vaccine antigens for traditional vaccine technologies can
simply be co-opted for use in RNA vaccine technologies," said Jesse
Erasmus, Ph.D., who is the principal investigator on the subaward.
"In our project, Rapid-Response Roadmap for RNA vaccines, HDT Bio
will address this unknown while generating prototype vaccine
candidates for 8 different viruses across 3 virus families of
pandemic potential, collaborating with other member institutions of
PROVIDENT to design and characterize antigens using
structure-guided and high-throughput mutagenesis approaches."
"We will also evaluate safety and immunogenicity against a
diverse panel of viruses, and characterize efficacy in
high-containment," Dr. Erasmus added.
The additional key contributors to these efforts at HDT Bio
are:
- Amit Khandhar, Ph.D., Director
of Formulations
- Taishi Kimura, Ph.D., Senior
Scientist
- E. Taylor Stone, Ph.D.,
Scientist
HDT Bio will work with 12 teams in academia and government
alongside 3 other projects titled, 1) "Discovery and dissection of
virus-host interactions and pathogenetic mechanisms", 2) "Antigen
design and immunological evaluation", and 3) Mining human antibody
responses to inform vaccine and therapeutic design". More details
on collaborating institutions and their key researchers can be
found in Albert Einstein College of
Medicine's description of the parent award.
HDT Bio's LION™/repRNA platform builds on the company's
pioneering work in vaccine development, notably including emergency
use authorizations for its vaccine during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The company's innovative approach to RNA vaccine delivery,
particularly through its LION™ nanotechnology, enhances the safety
and efficacy of RNA-based vaccines while maintaining crucial
logistical benefits such as refrigeration stability and simplified
manufacturing.
"Our role in PROVIDENT exemplifies HDT Bio's mission to make RNA
vaccines a cornerstone of future pandemic preparedness," added Dr.
Reed. "By working in concert with academic, government, and
industry partners, we aim to provide the tools needed to address
unknown viral threats quickly and efficiently."
For more information on HDT Bio's AMPLIFY™ and LION™ platforms,
visit www.hdt.bio.
About HDT Bio
HDT Bio is a Seattle-based,
clinical-stage biopharmaceutical development company. With
core technology and expertise in nucleic acid formulation, the
company develops products that seek to harness host-directed immune
responses. HDT Bio's work focuses on infectious disease and
oncology vaccines and therapeutics through early-stage
collaborations with partners worldwide. The company's vaccine
platforms combine formulation and adjuvant ingredients to
stabilize and deliver RNA to the immune system to stimulate
responses. HDT Bio's repRNA/LION™ was the first self-amplifying RNA
vaccine platform to ever receive a regulatory authorization.
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SOURCE HDT Bio Corp.