OncoSec: 1st Dosing in Phase 1 Trial of Covid Vax

 First-in-Class Combination Vaccine Using OncoSec's IL-12 DNA Plasmid-Based Cancer Immunotherapy with the National Institutes of Health's DNA Plasmid-Based Spike Protein

OncoSec Medical Incorporated (NASDAQ: ONCS) today announced that it has dosed several subjects in its Phase 1 clinical trial of CORVax12, the only vaccine candidate to include an immunostimulatory cytokine to address COVID-19. This trial, entitled, CORVax12: SARS-CoV-2 Spike (S) Protein Plasmid DNA Vaccine Trial for COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2)(NCT04627675), will address safety and anti-viral immunological responses with the combination of a DNA-encodable stabilized SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein and OnocSec's cancer immunotherapy candidate, TAVO™ (tavokinogene telseplasmid), a potent and well-characterized plasmid-based IL-12 cytokine.

Similar to other current vaccines, CORVax12 expresses a stabilized SARS-CoV-2 spike protein which trains the immune system to recognize the virus that causes COVID-19. However, the addition of IL-12 may augment the depth and type of immune response, which may enhance long-term anti-viral immunity. This coordinated cellular and humoral immunity is a hallmark of IL-12 and may not only provide for a better vaccine, but could significantly benefit patients with cancer who may not mount an effective immune response via a traditional vaccine approach.

Recent preclinical data on CORVax12 presented at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC)'s 35th Anniversary Annual Meeting demonstrated that CORVax12 induced a strong immune response in mouse models by leading to the production of anti-spike IgG antibodies capable of disrupting the receptor-binding domain of the spike protein.

Additionally, preliminary preclinical data has demonstrated that CORVax12 administered into tumor tissue not only yields a productive anti-viral response, but also a strong anti-tumor response. If these preclinical observations are supported with positive clinical data, this vaccine strategy may be developed to directly treat patients with tumors. Thus, CORVax12 has the potential to effectively combine OncoSec's powerful oncology platform with a strong vaccination.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/oncosec-announces-first-subjects-dosed-140000640.html