• First joint CriVac^® vaccine candidate to target receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2
• Evaluation of Cristal’s CliCr^® and Intravacc’s OMV technology

 Intravacc, a world leader in translational research and development of vaccines, and Cristal Therapeutics,  a technology leader in enabling safer and more effective therapeutics, today announced a strategic collaboration to develop novel vaccine programs against human diseases with the initial candidate targeting COVID-19.

Under the terms of the agreement, Cristal Therapeutics and Intravacc will collaborate with an initial focus on generating a CriVac^® vaccine candidate based on the receptor-binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. In addition, Cristal Therapeutics will provide its powerful copper-free click chemistry reagent, CliCr^®, for evaluation with Intravacc’s proprietary outer membrane vesicles (OMV) technology. OMV vaccines allow for the native conformation of immunity-stimulating antigens. After completion of the evaluation period Intravacc and Cristal will jointly explore next steps to further advance the program.

Axel Mescheder, M.D., CEO and CMO of Cristal, commented:

“Over the past year, it has become evident that vaccines play a crucial role in protecting us, our families and those at high risk for infectious diseases. We have put great effort in optimizing our unique CriVac^® platform based on our CriPec^® nanoparticles and CliCr^® conjugation technology. Our CriVac^® technology platform mimics features of a live virus, inducing immunity in a safe and efficient way, providing a solid foundation for the development of novel vaccine approaches. We look forward to partnering with Intravacc to develop novel therapeutic candidates for vaccine-preventable diseases.”

As part of this agreement, Intravacc will also provide access to its proprietary, detoxified LPS technology to enhance immune activation. All technologies represent innovative approaches to vaccine development enabling an efficient presentation of antigens to the immune system. Combining the technologies will further allow swift development of vaccine candidates against a broad range of human diseases. This is particularly driven by a scalable GMP manufacturing process.

Dr. Jan Groen, Intravacc’s CEO, said:

“Intravacc shares the belief that no one should be suffering from diseases that can be prevented by vaccines. We have a track record in translational vaccinology and an established infrastructure that enables the accelerated development of promising vaccine candidates such as Cristal’s CriVac^® approach. Combining Cristal’s technologies with Intravacc’s proprietary LPS and OMV technologies holds great promise. We look forward to working closely with the Cristal team to advance the program through preclinical evaluation.”