From SA: Generex updates on COVID-19 vaccine prog
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Generex updates on COVID-19 vaccine program
Dec. 31, 2020 12:12 PM ETGenerex Biotechnology Corporation (GNBT)By: Dulan Lokuwithana, SA News Editor1 Comment
Announcing the filing for a trademark for The Complete Vaccine™, Generex Biotechnology (OTCQB:GNBT +28.9%), says it has made significant progress in the li-Key-SARS-CoV-2 vaccine program.
Generex's majority-owned public entity, NuGenerex Immuno-Oncology, has completed the T Cell assays and HLA typing of blood samples taken from 46 convalescent COVID-19 patients and 30 healthy pre-COVID donors.
The screening of the immune regulatory activity of 33 Ii-Key epitopes has demonstrated that numerous Ii-Key epitopes activated CD4+ Th1 and CD8+ responses and none of the Ii-Key epitopes tested activated any negative Th2 responses.
Ii-Key epitopes have been used to bind and purify IgG antibodies from convalescent COVID-19 patient samples, The antibodies are undergoing tests to ensure their neutralizing effect on the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and once confirmed, Ii-Key epitope binding antibodies can be purified and genetically engineered to develop antibody therapeutics against COVID-19, the company said in a statement.
Generex has already commenced the GMP production of several Ii-Key-SARS-CoV-2 epitopes as formulations for Phase I and Phase II clinical trials, and an IND submission is expected in early 2021.
Citing the positive T cell regulation demonstrated by epitopes as conferring long-term immune memory, and their specific action on neutralizing regions of the coronavirus without off-target effects, the company says the Ii-Key COVID-19 vaccine with multiple epitopes has the potential to be a complete vaccine.
In a bullish thesis, Seeking Alpha, contributor, Thomas Barnard, quotes the Generex CEO, Joseph Moscato as saying “The beauty of our Ii-key peptide vaccine is that it will trigger a long-lasting protection.”