MinervaX reveals completion of vaccine trial enrolment

The company is seeking to address the worldwide impact of group B streptococcus in older adults

MinervaX – a company developing a prophylactic vaccine against group B streptococcus (GBS) – has announced the completion of enrolment and initial dosing for its phase 1, clinical vaccine trial among older adults.

The trial is taking place at CEVAC (Centre for Vaccinology) in Belgium. GBS is most commonly linked with pregnant women and newborn babies, however, invasive GBS disease infections in the elderly population are rapidly increasing.

The condition can have very serious consequences – particularly if the individual already has another health condition such as cancer, diabetes mellitus, or a suppressed immune system.

In order to address the problem, MinervaX has widened the development pipeline of its novel GBS vaccine to include older adults, with the aim of preventing and reducing deaths associated with GBS across international communities

At present, MinervaX is progressing two phase 2 clinical vaccine trials for the prevention of life-threatening infections among newborns. The trials are showing that the vaccine has a sound safety profile, is significant immunogenic and encourages functionally active antibodies.

The phase 1 vaccine trial is researching the vaccine’s safety and immunogenicity in both healthy older adults and older adults with underlying medical conditions, at an age range of 55 to 75 years and incorporating a range of dose levels.

Professor Isabel Leroux-Roels, principal investigator at CEVAC, reflected: “We at CEVAC are very pleased to be contributing to this phase 1 trial against this severe disease. Recruiting the many volunteers for this hugely important trial is a step forward to demonstrate that MinervaX’s novel vaccine works.”

She added: “We are very grateful to all the volunteers involved in the trial and will be following up with each participant accordingly. We are excited to see the data reported later this year.”

Lidia Oostvogels, chief medical officer of MinervaX, concluded: “The smooth completion of enrolment and dose escalation provides an indication of the overall acceptable reactogenicity profile of our novel GBS vaccine and replicates the findings in our two ongoing phase 2 trials in pregnant women.

“This allows us to accelerate the development of this potentially lifesaving vaccine to address the global unmet medical need. I would like to thank the participants of the trial and the team at CEVAC who is being instrumental throughout the trial, and I look forward to providing initial results in the fourth quarter of 2023.”