Intravacc and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) joined forces in an EIC Transition project, GA-VAX, to develop a peptide vaccine for the treatment of ALS. We spoke with Intravacc’s CEO and the group leader at DZNE to discover more details about the innovation.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that is triggered by protein aggregation in the brain and spinal cord motor neurons, leading to paralysis and ultimately to death. Gene mutations have been identified as triggers for some forms of the disease. The research group of Prof. Dr. Dieter Edbauer at DZNE discovered that these extra sequences are translated into toxic proteins, most abundantly large, chain-like molecules called poly-Glycine-Alanine (poly-GA). This experimental vaccine instructs the immune system to produce antibodies against harmful poly-GA molecules.
Until the moment, laboratory tests performed in mice have shown that this pioneering vaccine reduces poly-GA aggregates and largely prevents motor deficits. With regular vaccination patients should be able to maintain sufficient antibody levels, avoiding the appearance of ALS symptoms. With the €2.5 million EIC Transition grant, the project team aims to develop the vaccine candidate to the point where it can be clinically tested in humans.
Prof. Dr. Dieter Edbauer, group leader at DZNE and coordinator of GA-VAX project, on the newly received financing and his ambitions for this project: “Before we can test this approach on ALS patients, we need to establish clinical grade production of our vaccine and do further safety studies. We are grateful that the EU supports this development with the EIC Transition grant. All in all, we hope that, with the help of Intravacc, results from this joint project will advance the broad application of vaccines in debilitating neurodegenerative diseases.”.
Dr. Jan Groen, Intravacc’s CEO, is hopeful that their vaccine research will move at a successful pace: “There is an unmet need for effective, disease-modifying therapies to treat ALS patients. The goal of our current project is to develop the vaccine to the point where it can be tested in humans. Clinical trials for C9orf72 ALS, which is the most common genetic variant of ALS, are expected to commence in 2025. Our experience in developing similar conjugate vaccines for infectious diseases will greatly accelerate the preclinical development and support the start of the first ever in human ALS vaccine clinical trial.”.
About DZNE and Intravacc
The German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) is a research institute funded by the German federal and state governments, comprising ten sites across Germany. Its work is dedicated to diseases of the brain and nervous system, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and ALS, which are associated with dementia, movement disorders and other serious health impairments.
Intravacc is a Dutch leading global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) of innovative vaccines against infectious diseases. They are located at Utrecht Science Park Bilthoven, Netherlands.
About EIC Transition
EIC Transition funds innovation activities that go beyond the experimental proof of principle. Funded projects should address both technology and market/business development, possibly including iterative learning processes based on early customer or user feedback. Grants of up to €2.5 million are available to validate and demonstrate technology in application-relevant environment and develop market readiness.
