Inovio Pharma, GeneOne Get Nod for Human Zika Vaccine Trial

June 22, 2016

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and GeneOne Life Science Inc. have received approval to initiate a phase I human trial to evaluate Inovio’s Zika DNA vaccine (GLS-5700) to prevent infection from the Zika virus. In preclinical testing, this synthetic vaccine induced robust antibody and T cell responses in small and large animal models, demonstrating the product’s potential to prevent infection from this harmful pathogen in humans.

This phase I, open-label, dose-ranging study with 40 healthy subjects will evaluate the safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of GLS-5700 administered intradermally with CELLECTRA®, Inovio’s proprietary DNA delivery device.

Dr. J. Joseph Kim, Inovio’s president & CEO, said, “We are proud to have attained the approval to initiate the first Zika vaccine study in human volunteers. As of May 2016, 58 countries and territories reported continuing mosquito-borne transmission of the Zika virus; the incidences of viral infection and medical conditions caused by the virus are expanding, not contracting. We plan to dose our first subjects in the next weeks and expect to report phase I interim results later this year.”

Zika virus is a flavivirus, a family of viruses including yellow fever, dengue, and West Nile virus, which are introduced to people through mosquito bites. Because the Aedes species of mosquitoes that spreads Zika virus is found throughout the world there is concern that Zika will continue to spread to new countries and regions. Zika can also be sexually transmitted.