Osivax Secures GC Pharma’s Influenza Vaccine, Pursues Combination Vaccine Development

French biotechnology company Osivax is moving to develop a combination vaccine that leverages the complementary effects of its influenza vaccine candidate and an existing influenza vaccine.

Osivax said on the 28th (local time) that it had secured a license from South Korea’s GC Pharma for the influenza vaccine GC FLU.

Under the agreement, Osivax will lead development of a combination vaccine candidate that combines its influenza A vaccine candidate OVX836 with GC FLU.

OVX836 targets nucleoprotein (NP), an internal antigen that is highly conserved in influenza A viruses. GC FLU is an inactivated seasonal influenza vaccine designed to induce antibody responses against the hemagglutinin surface antigens of influenza A and B viruses.

Osivax secured a nonexclusive license for GC FLU in regions excluding Japan and South Korea. Osivax will handle development and commercialization in regions outside South Korea, GC Pharma’s home market, while GC Pharma will supply the vaccine and receive royalties.

Existing influenza vaccines induce antibody responses against viral surface proteins. Because these proteins change each season, manufacturers must update the vaccines annually; even then, the vaccines may not fully keep pace with the mutations, potentially reducing their efficacy.

By contrast, the NP targeted by OVX836 is highly conserved across influenza A variants. Osivax said that inducing a T-cell response against NP with OVX836 could complement the antibody response generated by existing vaccines and improve efficacy compared with vaccination with either vaccine alone.

Osivax confirmed this possibility in a phase 2a trial involving 60 healthy volunteers, in which OVX836 was tested in combination with GSK’s influenza vaccine Fluarix Tetra. The company also evaluated the combination regimen in a larger phase 2 trial.

However, in the previous combination trials, OVX836 and Fluarix Tetra were administered as separate injections. Osivax has pursued development of a single injection combining OVX836 with an inactivated influenza vaccine, believing that an increased number of injections could reduce vaccination rates, particularly among people who fear needles.

Through the agreement with GC Pharma, Osivax has secured the components needed to develop the combination vaccine.