PhageNova Bio, Inc. Announces Publication Describing Identification of a Safe and Effective Method of Delivering Medicines to the Lungs

NEW YORK, Dec. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- PhageNova Bio, Inc. ("PhageNova") is pleased to announce the publication of data generated through a sponsored research agreement with Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. The Med (a Cell Press publication) article, entitled Targeted Phage Display-Based Pulmonary Vaccination in Mice and Non-human Primates, describes a new method for safe and effective pulmonary delivery of therapeutics, including an aerosol vaccination strategy which is being developed to address the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

"Our targeted method of pulmonary delivery is the initial step towards the development of aerosol phage-based vaccines for human applications against multiple diseases," says Renata Pasqualini, PhD, co-senior study author, Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of PhageNova, and Chief of the Division of Cancer Biology, Department of Radiation Oncology at Rutgers Cancer Institute and Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. "Other advantages of phage particles are that they are highly stable under harsh environmental conditions, and their large-scale production is extremely cost-effective compared with other vaccine strategies because they don't need to be refrigerated, which is a particularly important requirement for the developing world."

According to the authors, the new lung delivery system is safe and effective, and has unique advantages for the development of vaccines and therapeutics against airborne pathogens. Phage particles induce very strong and sustained immune responses, without producing toxic side effects. Because they do not replicate inside eukaryotic cells, their use is generally considered safe when compared to other classic viral-based vaccination strategies; phage particles have been used as antibiotics against multidrug-resistant bacteria and as vaccine carriers for decades.

"This translational strategy potentially enables more effective delivery of therapeutics or vaccines while reducing the chance of toxic side effects," says co-senior study author Wadih Arap MD, PhD, Founder of PhageNova, Director of the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey at University Hospital, and tenured Faculty and Chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. "In ongoing research, we hope that this work will play a crucial role in the development of targeted vaccines and treatments to block the spread of respiratory infectious diseases, possibly for the current COVID-19 pandemic, especially in the setting of underserved populations."

"PhageNova has always been at the forefront of targeted phage-based therapies," commented Jason Rifkin, JD, MB, President and CEO of PhageNova. "While we continue development of our cancer program, we are now thrilled to contribute a vaccine platform that could have a tremendous positive impact on global human health. We are privileged to have the opportunity to work with Drs. Pasqualini and Arap, and the entire Rutgers Cancer Institute and Rutgers New Jersey Medical School teams, and look forward to continuing this research." 

PhageNova Bio holds an exclusive licensing agreement with Rutgers to develop and commercialize this new method for safe and effective pulmonary delivery of therapeutics.

About PhageNova Bio, Inc.
PhageNova Bio is a developmental stage biotechnology company developing a unique approach to systemically administered targeted gene expression for cancer, vaccination, and molecular imaging. Adeno-associated virus-bacteriophage is a modular, bacteriophage-based platform developed by combining the targeting capability of phage with sustained gene expression provided by adeno-associated virus genetic elements. The company's lead cancer construct is designed to selectively target tumor associated blood vessels and tumor cells, resulting in the expression of TNF-α, a well-known anti-tumor agent, specifically and exclusively in tumors. The company has extensively validated tumor targeting and selective gene expression capabilities, and therapeutic efficacy was observed in the absence of dose-limiting toxicity in multiple species and several tumor models. The company intends to submit its IND to the FDA in 2021.

More information can be found at www.phagenovabio.com   

Company contact: [email protected]

SOURCE PhageNova Bio, Inc.

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