Promising HPV Vaccine Receives Development Funding from the National Cancer Institute

the Cancer Therapy Advisor take:

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has funded $3.5 million for the development of a new human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine at the MedUni Vienna.

The funding from NCI will allow researchers at MedUni Vienna to begin developing the clinical trials that are needed to license the vaccine. The vaccine has already shown (via laboratory studies) to be significantly effective against a wide range of high- and low-risk types of HPV compared with HPV vaccines that are currently available. The vaccine is also aimed at protecting recipients from developing strains of HPV that lead to skin warts. Skin warts are not only a cosmetic issue for patients, but they also pose a serious health risk to individuals who are immunosuppressed.

In addition, the manufacturing of this vaccine is more economical and technically easier because it contains a single antigen (HPV16 RG1-VPL) compared with currently vaccines that contain two to four antigens. The research team, led by Reinhard Kirnbauer, MD, received the funding through the NCI’s PREVENT Cancer Program. The new vaccine will be created under the United States’ current Good Manufacturing Practice guidelines, meaning that the quality of production sequences and environments will be ensured to the United States’ standards.

After production is complete, the vaccine will be prepared for licensing from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as an investigational new drug, an essential component in the process of having the vaccine begin early phase human clinical trials, which are already being planned.