The board of Allied Healthcare Group (ASX:AHZ) would like to announce that its investment company Coridon Pty Ltd has embarked on the development of a next generation therapeutic Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. The program will be based on preliminary work by Coridon founder Professor Ian Frazer’s team and follows on from Professor Frazer’s work that resulted in the successful cervical preventative vaccines – Gardasil®, marketed by Merck, and Cervarix, marketed by GlaxoSmithKline.
Coridon’s HPV vaccine has been designed to combat existing infection with the HPV virus, to prevent and treat cervical and other HPV-associated cancers, therefore improving on existing HPV vaccines by having a therapeutic advantage. Coridon will initially collaborate with the University of Queensland’s Diamantina Institute to test the vaccine in pre-clinical models that they have established.
Neil Finlayson, Coridon CEO said: “This collaboration is based on the use of our unique patented optimisation technology combined with Professor Frazer’s undoubted expertise and experience in vaccine development and Human Papillomavirus.”
Coridon is developing the next generation of vaccines for the prevention and treatment for a range of infectious diseases and cancers in humans. Coridon’s DNA vaccine technologies differ from conventional vaccines in that they offer both preventative and therapeutic value and have the potential to be delivered with a range of adjuvants.
“The work by Professor Frazer’s team at Coridon has significant potential globally to treat those patients already infected with the virus, something the current vaccines cannot do,” said Lee Rodne, MD of Allied Healthcare Group. “This is another example of the potential for Coridon’s technology in the prevention and treatment of a wide range of cancers and disease.”
HPV is associated with several human cancers, most notably cervical cancer. Current HPV vaccines, such as Gardasil®have proven to be safe and highly effective; however they are not suitable for all people. Furthermore current HPV vaccines are not therapeutic, and there are a significant number of people already infected with HPV and at risk of developing HPV-associated cancers.