TapImmune Inc has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation to enter into an R&D collaboration effort. The overall goal of this collaboration will be to evaluate the efficacy of TAP in concert with novel vaccine vectors encoding TB immunogens under development at Aeras with the aim of advancing suitable candidates to clinical development. Aeras will conduct all pre-clinical development studies.
Aeras, one of the foremost non-profit Product Development Partnerships, is dedicated to the development of effective TB vaccine regimens that will prevent tuberculosis in all age groups and will be affordable, available and adopted worldwide.
TapImmune has extensive experience and associated intellectual property related to the use of TAP1 and TAP2 expressing vectors for the treatment of cancer and also as molecular adjuvants for enhancing Class I presentation of vaccine immunogens.
Denis Corin, president of TapImmune, stated, "We are proud to team with Aeras in the search for the next generation of vaccines to eliminate the scourge of tuberculosis from the world. We are equally proud that our technology has been recognized as a potential meaningful contributor in that search."
"Aeras is exploring novel approaches to enhance the effectiveness of new TB vaccines," said Jerald C. Sadoff, the president and chief executive officer of the Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation. "We are looking forward to evaluating TapImmune's adjuvant technology in our next generation genetic vaccines."
The Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation is a non-profit organization working as a Product Development Partnership to develop new tuberculosis vaccines and ensure that they are distributed to all who need them around the world.
Taplmmune is a biotechnology company specializing in the development of innovative cell based immunotherapeutics and vaccines in the areas of oncology and infectious disease.