GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals and Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation Partner To Develop New TB Vaccine
GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals (GSK Biologicals) and the Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation (Aeras) announced a new public-private partnership to develop GSK Biologicals' tuberculosis candidate vaccine Mtb72F/AS02A, which has shown promising results in preclinical studies. In addition, the vaccine has shown a good safety and immunogenicity profile in early-stage clinical trials conducted by GSK Biologicals.
Over the coming months, GSK Biologicals and Aeras plan to move forward with additional safety and immunogenicity trials in Europeinvolving adults previously infected with TB or vaccinated with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG). The plan is then to begin studies in Africa and other locations to test the safety and efficacy of the vaccine candidate in populations highly affected by TB. GSK Biologicals, who will provide its candidate vaccine, will be responsible for conducting these clinical trials.
GSK Biologicals' candidate vaccine Mtb72F/AS02A consists of a recombinant fusion protein (Mtb72F) formulated in a proprietary GSK adjuvant system (AS02A) that appears to induce strong, long lasting cellular and humoral immune responses.
This agreement is a milestone for GSK Biologicals, which is now working with public-private partnerships to develop vaccines against the three biggest global infectious disease killers, AIDS, TB and malaria. GlaxoSmithKline is also the only pharmaceutical company with active R&D programs aimed at producing improved therapies for AIDS, TB and malaria.
This agreement also marks the fourth product development agreement for Aeras, the public-private partnership helping to coordinate the global effort to develop a more effective TB vaccine. The currently-available vaccine, Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), was developed in 1921 and fails to protect most people beyond childhood.
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