Technology

Virometix’ technology platform consists of two complementary technologies: A Synthetic Antigen Mimetic (SAM) technology for antigen design and optimization and the Synthetic Virus-Like Particle (SVLP) technology for antigen delivery and efficient activation of cells in the immune system. Both technologies enable Virometix to create new-generation safe and effective vaccines that are easy to manufacture and administer, are well tolerated, and avoid the need for exogenous adjuvants.

Synthetic Antigen Mimetic Technology

Virometix exploits rational molecular design and a structure-activity based approach for the design of Synthetic Antigen Mimetics (SAMs) that accurately mimic the 3D structure of key protective epitopes. Antibodies raised against SAMs have improved capacity to recognize the target, such as a pathogen, compared to antibodies raised against linear peptides or against peptides inserted into protein scaffolds. Furthermore, SAMs can be engineered in order to facilitate processing of peptide fragments for recognition by T-cells, and to avoid amino acid sequences or structural motifs that may give rise to auto-reactive T- or B-cells.

A broad variety of drug-design methods can be harnessed for SAM design, including grafting peptide sequences onto appropriate scaffolds or side-chain cross-linking. Virometix' research team are world leaders in the design of SAMs using these approaches.

Key advantages of SAMs at a glance:

• Focus the immune response onto key protective epitopes, thus maximizing vaccine efficacy
• Avoid problems inherent to cell-made products (e.g. risk of contamination with infectious agents, difficulty and cost in production and stability of the product in an active state)
• Optimization of antigenicity using structure-activity relationships and
• Production using synthetic chemical methods, as typically used in the manufacture of small-molecule drugs

Synthetic Virus-Like Particle Technology

Virometix’ proprietary Synthetic Virus-Like Particle (SVLP) platform technology is based on the use of virus-like particles, made using artificial totally synthetic building blocks, for the delivery of SAMs to cells of the immune system. SVLPs combine effectively all the components required to induce a strong and long-lasting immune response: i) multivalent presentation of SAMs in a highly repetitive format across the surface of SVLPs ensures efficient B-cell activation, ii) proprietary universal T-helper epitopes that ensure good immunogenicity in a broad range of individual with diverse genetic backgrounds and iii) Pathogen Associated Molecular Patterns (PAMPs) that ensure efficient activation of the innate immune system.

Key advantages of the SVLP technology at a glance:

• Exogenous adjuvants are not required
• Broad applicability – small proteins, glycopeptides, epitope mimetics, carbohydrates or drug-like molecule haptens can be employed as SAMs
• Fast production and optimization of SVLP-based vaccine candidates
• Simple purification and quality analysis
• Stable in lyophilized form – SVLPs are dissolved in an appropriate buffer shortly before immunization
• Full biocompatibility and biodegradability