BlueWillow Biologics announced that it has been issued US patent No. 10,206,996, titled “Herpes simplex virus nanoemulsion vaccine,” covering an intranasal herpes simplex virus (HSV) vaccine based on its NanoVax adjuvant platform. The company is developing the vaccine to protect against HSV-1 and HSV-2, which can cause genital herpes.
According to the company, preclinical studies of the intranasal HSV vaccine have shown the ability of the vaccine to prevent and treat genital herpes in animal models. The vaccine succeeded in preventing genital herpes infection in 92% of guinea pigs vaccinated in one study, and recurrent lesions and viral shedding were reduced in previously infected animals treated with the vaccine compared to untreated animals by more than 50%.
BlueWillow Senior VP of Vaccine Research and Development Ali Fattom commented, “Genital herpes is easily and often unknowingly transmitted between partners. The lifelong infection frequently causes psychological distress and negatively impacts quality of life. After years of research in animals, we are moving closer to studies in humans where we expect results to validate the potential of this much-needed vaccine.”
Earlier this year, BlueWillow announced that it had received a US patent for a NanoVax-based intranasal vaccine against anthrax. The company’s pipeline also includes intranasal vaccines against chlamydia, influenza, RSV, and peanut allergy.
Read the BlueWillow Biologics press release.
