Indian-origin professor’s UK firm strikes Covid-19 vaccine pact with India

An Indian-origin professor’s Oxford-based company on Tuesday anunced that its Indian partner, Serum Institute of India (SIIPL), has begun trials of a vel virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine targeting Covid-19 which has potential to offer a groundbreaking new approach to fighting pandemic.

Prof Sumi Biswas, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of SpyBiotech – an Oxford University spiff company with a vel vaccine platform to target infectious diseases, cancer and chronic diseases, said first subjects have been dosed in Phase I/II trial.

SpyBiotech said it has signed an exclusive global licensing agreement with SIIPL for development of vaccine as part of study initiated in Australia.

“Combining SpyBiotech’s unique platform techlogy with Serum’s extensive expertise developing VLPs and its manufacturing capability is an exciting development at a critical time, giving us tools to produce large volume of doses required to support global fight against Covid-19,” said Biswas, a Kolkata-born immulogist.

“For SpyBiotech, this is an opportunity to provide an accelerated proof point for our platform techlogy, alongside or candidates which we are advancing into clinical development. Our techlogy can be combined with multiple vaccine delivery platforms to create a plug and display vaccine which is critical for generating vaccines rapidly and safely,” she said.

Biswas moved to UK in 2005 having studied microbiology at University of Bangalore and went on to become an Associate Professor of Vaccilogy at Jenner Institute, Oxford University’s leading vaccines invation centre which is currently also working on ar Covid-19 vaccine candidate.

SpyBiotech says its vaccine candidate uses its “proprietary” SpyCatcher/SpyTag protein “superglue” techlogy to display coronavirus spike protein on surface of Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) VLPs, a licensed vaccine with "excellent safety and immugenicity data" in humans and which are currently manufactured to billions of doses. coronavirus spike protein’s receptor-binding domain is displayed on VLP, taking advant of platform’s properties to induce a potent immune response.

Adar Poonawalla, Chief Executive Officer of SIIPL, said: “We are very excited about collaboration with SpyBiotech to work on this vel vaccine for Covid-19.

“This new techlogy has potential to be a powerful new approach to tackling pandemic. SIIPL is looking forward to working alongside SpyBiotech to advance this candidate through clinical development.” SpyCatcher/SpyTag is a platform techlogy which allows antigens to be displayed onto VLPs with a covalent, irreversible bond in a highly stable and effective way with specific orientation/epitope presentation and high density. techlogy can be used for an exceptionally broad range of applications in vaccine development and has established proof of concept data in a viral, bacterial, parasitic diseases and chronic diseases and cancer.

SpyBiotech said it has exclusive rights from University of Oxford to apply, commercialise and sub-license “plug and display” techlogy for vaccine development.

“Finding a safe and effective vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 [Covid-19] virus is one of most pressing scientific challenges of our time,” said Lachlan Mackinn, Oxford Sciences Invation Principal and SpyBiotech Chairman.

“Combining benefits of SpyBiotech’s protein ‘superglue’ techlogy with kwn safety and immugenicity of Serum Institute’s Hepatitis B surface antigen virus-like particle offers potential for an effective, safe COVID-19 vaccine which could be manufactured at scale,” he said.

Through latest agreement, he said that SpyBiotech’s techlogy can be added to a growing armoury of weapons being developed against this disease.

“We hope development programme will also help validate broader potential of techlogy, which in future will be used to target or infectious diseases and cancer,” he added.

SpyBiotech was spun out of University of Oxford in 2017 and its proprietary protein superglue techlogy binds antigens to vaccine delivery platforms in a way which minimises delivery risk and enhances immugenicity and efficacy.

company said it is supported by high-quality investors including Oxford Sciences Invation (OSI), capital investor for University of Oxford, and GV (formerly Google Ventures) and has raised 15 million pounds in funding to date.