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Intercell starts a Phase I clinical trial for a new Streptococcus pneumoniae vaccine

Study aims to obtain safety and immunogenicity data of this new vaccine candidate

08 Apr 2009 - Intercell AG announced that a Phase I clinical trial with the compan's vaccine candidate IC47 to prevent disease caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae has started.
 
Intercell's vaccine candidate is a recombinant subunit vaccine consisting of three conserved surface proteins from Streptococcus pneumoniae. Two of these proteins were discovered using Intercell's proprietary Antigen Identification Program (AIP®), while the third was in-licensed from the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
 
According to the company, this Phase I trial is a first in-man study with a focus to obtain safety and immunogenicity data in a small population of healthy adults. Thirty-two subjects will be enrolled in this open-label study. Two different vaccine concentrations either with or without the addition of an adjuvant will be tested.
 
Although vaccines against Streptococcus pneumoniae are available, they cover only a restricted number of the more than 90 known serotypes and it is essential to pursue new vaccines for distribution in countries with the highest medical need for an effective vaccine against the pathogen. Intercell's novel vaccine candidate is composed of highly conserved proteins of Streptococcus pneumoniae that have the potential to protect against all serotypes.