Oct 30, 2009
Halifax biotech firm working with defence scientists on improvements
By CHRIS LAMBIE Business Editor
Fri. Oct 30 - 4:46 AM
A Halifax biotech company is ramping up its work with defence scientists to develop a vaccine that aims to make soldiers immune to deadly anthrax spores much faster then is now possible.
Immunovaccine Inc. and Defence Research Development Canada have already conducted tests on mice and now plan to move on to rabbits.
"They are developing vaccines for anthrax and other bioterrorism organisms that can be weaponized," said Marc Mansour, Immunovaccine’s vice-president in charge of research and development.
"The current anthrax vaccine, it takes too long. You need many immunizations to get the protection that is needed."
Anthrax-laced letters killed five people and severely rattled the post 9-11 United States.
Current anthrax vaccines require three injections every two weeks, with followups needed at six, 12 and 18 months.
"You will get protection after the first three vaccinations and then you need to maintain that protection with repeated immunizations afterwards," said Mr. Mansour, an applied immunologist.
"So clearly it’s a bit of a problem when there’s an anthrax threat and you don’t have enough time for the vaccine to give people the protection."
Immunovaccine is lending the military’s research arm its novel delivery system which allows the immune system to generate a stronger response, he said.
"What we would aim to do is create a vaccine that would give (anthrax) protection in as little as two to three weeks."
The company is using its patented DepoVax vaccine delivery system. It exposes the immune system to anthrax antigens for a longer period of time than the regular shots allow.
DepoVax is a combination of oils and microscopic spheres that encapsulate the vaccine ingredient.
"It’s very low viscosity oil; it’s a liquid. It’s not thick like tapioca," Mr. Mansour said.
Immunovaccine is also working with defence scientists to come up with a vaccine for glanders, a deadly bacterial infection that can be used as a weapon against humans and livestock.
"It’s on the list if bioterrorism threats and they have an interest in developing the vaccines for that as well," Mr. Mansour said.
Both anthrax and glanders exist in the soil, but in a form that doesn’t infect people easily.
"When it’s generated in a laboratory for the purposes of using it as a weapon, it’s usually transformed into a very fine powder that can be transmitted very easily, and therefore you can get infected with it very easily."
There’s no money changing hands between the Halifax company and the military’s research arm, which is testing the vaccines on animals in Suffield, Alta.
"This is a research collaboration; there is no commercial agreements in place at this stage," Mr. Mansour said.
Immunovaccine would need to partner with a large drug company to develop an enhanced anthrax vaccine for the marketplace, he said.
If the vaccines eventually prove effective in humans, they could be worth a lot of money.
"Based on the results that we’ve seen so far, it’s very obvious that we can reduce the number of doses to get the same level of antibodies. So that translates into generating protection in soldiers with fewer vaccinations in a shorter period of time," Mr. Mansour said.
"It’s something that would be developed here in Canada and would be of interest to all military forces around the world."
Immunovaccine — which is planning to start human trials on a therapeutic cancer vaccine in early 2010 — went public in a reverse takeover last month, trading under ticker symbol IMV on the TSX-Venture Exchange. It was trading at around 71 cents a share Thursday afternoon.
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Copyright © The Chronicle Herald, October 30, 2009