ACE seals public-private partnership with PATH

Danish vaccines specialist ACE BioSciences has agreed a research collaboration with the international medical charity PATH to develop temperature stable ETEC (Enterotoxigenic E Coli) vaccine formulations.

Under the terms of the agreement, ACE BioSciences will collaborate with PATH’s Vaccine Stabilisation Project team to develop dry and temperature stable ETEC vaccine candidates. The pilot studies will utilise ACE527, ACE BioSciences’ live, whole-cell oral vaccine candidate which comprises three attenuated ETEC strains and represents the culmination of a development programme which has already demonstrated safety and immunogenicity in five clinical trials.

The aim is to develop temperature stable formulations, such as spray or freeze dried vaccines, which would not require refrigerated storage and could be used to vaccinate children in developing countries. In addition to providing its ETEC strains, ACE BioSciences will contribute its proprietary knowledge on optimised growth and freeze drying methods and analytical assays for the ETEC strains and give technical support. All parties will share the results of the work.

Enterotoxigenic E coli strains are the most common causes of bacterial diarrhoea. They are responsible for an estimated 840 million gastrointestinal infections and about 380,000 deaths worldwide each year. ETEC is primarily spread through food or water contaminated with human waste. Poor drinking water quality and lack of adequate sanitation increase the risk of contracting the disease.

”I am delighted that ACE BioSciences can make a positive contribution to this important and pioneering work,” commented Ingelise Saunders, ACE BioSciences’ CEO. “We believe that ACE527, which we are developing to combat travellers’ diarrhoea, will be the first oral ETEC vaccine.”

“From an ethical standpoint, this collaboration will help to ensure that all mankind can benefit from our work. From a commercial perspective, we will continue to move forward our in-house development programmes to enhance our portfolio of travellers’ diarrhoea vaccines.”