Voltron Therapeutics Publishes Letter to Shareholders
NEW YORK, May 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Voltron Therapeutics, Inc. announces today a letter to the shareholders.
Dear Voltron Therapeutics shareholders,
We hope this letter finds you well during this remarkable time. We would also like to thank for your support of Voltron.
The current COVID-19 pandemic is exactly the kind of situation that our VaxCelerate platform was created to address. Recall that this is the technology to which we acquired a global, exclusive license from the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)/Harvard Medical School. We have moved ahead rapidly to advance the technology in order to help address this global threat.
We would like to update you on our progress with both the COVID-19 vaccine, as well as on the parallel effort to develop VaxCelerate for oncology indications.
HaloVax™, COVID-19 Vaccine
Our vaccine has a number of important advantages that other company's efforts do not share; most importantly in VaxCelerate we have an incredibly nimble and flexible platform that can quickly adapt to new mutations of the virus, where others may not. Further, only VaxCelerate has been designed to be both flexible and avoid known safety issues with vaccines, such as Antibody Induced Enhanced Disease.
We have taken several important steps in the development of our vaccine:
- Voltron executed a Sponsored Research Agreement (SRA) with MGH to conduct preclinical research on two COVID-19 vaccine candidates
- Formed a development partnership with Hoth Therapeutics (NASDAQ: HOTH) to advance the COVID technology, including an investment by Hoth
- Selected the first of two vaccine candidates
- Began manufacturing the peptides that will complete the first vaccine
- Initiated the process at MGH to begin testing in a mouse vaccine model
- Began the process of selecting the second vaccine candidate
- Started the process of scaling up production of the largest component of the vaccine, Heat Shock Protein 70 (HSP70), which is common to all versions of VaxCelerate vaccines in both infectious disease and oncology
- Initiated the process to secure government funding for future development of the vaccine, from sources including BARDA and the Department of Defense.
- Our Scientific Co-Founder and advisor was featured in a number of news articles and interviewed numerous times for TV, radio, podcasts and other online reports, including MSNBC, Bloomberg, Yahoo Finance, and several others. https://voltrontx.com/news/
Our next key steps for the HaloVax vaccine include:
- Initiate animal testing of the first COVID-19 vaccine
- Select the second vaccine candidate and manufacture the required peptides
- Initiate animal testing on the second candidate
- Report initial animal data for both vaccines
- Begin testing in a second animal model for each vaccine, if required by the FDA
- Announce any external funding acquired
Additionally, we have assembled a world class team, including:
- Dr. Mark Poznansky, Director of the Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center (VIC) and Physician at Massachusetts General Hospital and an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Scientific founder and Scientific Advisory Board member
- Dr. Jeffrey A. Gelfand is an infectious disease specialist at MGH and inventor of this technology
- Zachary Shriver, PhD, Visterra Inc., a globally recognized expert in manufacturing & protein design
- Jeffrey Conroy, a Business Development expert with decades of experience and deep experience in pharmaceutical deal-making; currently CEO at Embody
- Paul Korner, MD, a Clinical Development expert with numerous products progressed through the clinical/regulatory process at Sarepta and Axovant
- George Steinfels, a Clinical Research Organization executive, formerly with Quintiles and Dupont Pharmaceuticals.
Oncology Programs
Fortunately, virtually all of our COVID efforts will simultaneously advance our Oncology programs. This is because all VaxCelerate vaccines will have 90+% that is identical from one vaccine to the next – the HSP70 portion. This allows us to make substantial progress with both our manufacturing and regulatory efforts in oncology through the work we are conducting for the COVID program.
We have selected Ovarian and other Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) related cancers as our initial targets. We are moving these programs ahead in parallel with the ID efforts.
We have taken several important steps ahead in development of the oncology vaccines:
- We are executing a new Sponsored Research Agreement (SRA) with MGH to conduct preclinical research in two vaccine candidates
- Started the process of scaling up production of the main component of the vaccine, Heat Shock Protein 70 (HSP70), which is common to all versions of VaxCelerate vaccines in both infectious disease and oncology
Our next key steps for the cancer vaccine program include:
- Finalize the SRA with MGH
- Initiate animal testing in the first indication, likely Ovarian cancer
- Initiate animal testing in the second tumor type
- Report animal data for both indications
Again, thank you for your support and please be well.
Best Regards,
Pat Gallagher, Chief Executive Officer
Matthew Duffy, President
James Ahern, Director
Matthew Eitner, Director
About Voltron Therapeutics, Inc.
Voltron Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation, was founded in 2017 to lead and accelerate the development of the Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center (VIC), and the Massachusetts General Hospital's novel Self Assembling Vaccine technology in a variety of indications, including in Oncology and emerging Infectious Diseases. Voltron holds an exclusive worldwide license to this technology. With the work of our world class team of researchers and physicians, this technology has shown in certain pre-clinical studies initial proof of concept in two infectious diseases (Lassa Fever and Q Fever) as well as two oncology indications (Ovarian and HPV Related). For more information please visit www.voltrontx.com.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements that relate to the advancement and development of the VaxCelerate Platform, the commencement of clinical trials, the availability of data from clinical trials and other information that is not historical information. When used herein, words such as "anticipate", "being", "will", "plan", "may", "continue", and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. In addition, any statements or information that refer to expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, performance or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking. All forward-looking statements are based upon Voltron's current expectations and various assumptions. Voltron believes there is a reasonable basis for its expectations and beliefs, but they are inherently uncertain. Voltron may not realize its expectations, and its beliefs may not prove correct. Actual results could differ materially from those described or implied by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including, without limitation, market conditions and any Voltron filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Consequently, forward-looking statements should be regarded solely as Voltron's current plans, estimates and beliefs. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Voltron cannot guarantee future results, events, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Voltron does not undertake and specifically declines any obligation to update, republish, or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, future events or circumstances or to reflect the occurrences of unanticipated events, except as may be required by law.
Investor Contact:
Matt Duffy, President
646-335-5923
[email protected]
Media Contact:
Matt Pennacchio
516-851-4766
[email protected]
SOURCE Voltron Therapeutics, Inc.
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