TORONTO, April 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — Replikins, Ltd, today announced an understanding of the evolution of lethal virus gene structures in Zika and closely related Flaviviruses. This genomic understanding has led to the development of a trivalent vaccine for Zika, Dengue and Japanese Encephalitis. A trivalent Zika-Dengue-Japanese Encephalitis Replikins Synthetic Blocker-Vaccine™ candidate, designed and manufactured by Replikins, Ltd., is now in animal testing. The goal is for human trials to begin in July 2016.
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The new trivalent vaccine candidate is based on the findings of Drs. Samuel and Elenore Bogoch of Boston University School of Medicine, the Foundation for Research on the Nervous System, and Replikins, Ltd.; they found conserved Replikins gene sequences shared by the three different Flaviviruses, and a suggestion of transfer of Replikins over time between the three.
Of possible relevance to the occurrence of anencephaly, the concentration of one of these shared Replikins sequences was increased in Japanese Encephalitis in 2010-2011, then declined in 2012 and peaked in the Dengue virus gene in 2013, then declined in concentration in Dengue and rose in concentration in the Zika gene in 2014.
At the beginning of the Zika outbreak of 2015-16, the concentration of Replikin sequences in the Zika gene were at their highest in the history of Zika sequences reported on Pubmed back to 1947. Replikins genomic disease surveillance software1 was used to analyze the concentration and evolutionary changes in the genomes of the three Flaviviruses. The company will report results from animal testing of the trivalent vaccine candidate.
Notes:
1. Bogoch et al., "Prediction of specific virus outbreaks made from the increased concentration of a new class of virus genomic peptides, Replikins," Nature Precedings : doi:10.1038/npre.2011.6279.1 : Posted 22 Aug 2011
2. Bogoch et al., "Genome Replikin Count Predicts Increased Infectivity/Lethality of Viruses," Nature Precedings : doi:10.1038/npre.2012.7144.1; Posted 3 Apr 2012
Contact: Anne Borsanyi, Email, tel: (646) 320-8772