Composite Peptide Vaccines
Targeting broad strain coverage and long-lasting protection for Influenza and Sepsis.
Lead Candidate
LHNVD-105 is adjuvanted, universal (broadly reactive) influenza vaccine, built on a composite peptide platform.
Our Patented Composite Peptide Technology allows conserved antigens from other viruses and bacteria to be quickly added.
To ensure maximum coverage of different influenza strains, we have identified and validated conserved peptides from three key components of the influenza virus: the hemagglutinin, the neuraminidase, and matrix protein combined with a T-cell epitope to generate neutralizing antibodies and a balanced cytokine response. In doing so, our universal influenza vaccine can provide multiple pathways to respond to different strains, making it harder for these strains to escape the scope of the vaccine.
LHNVD-303: A Broad Based Vaccine to Prevent Gram Positive and Gram Negative Infection, and the Resulting Inflammatory Conditions Such as Sepsis
An adjuvanted composite peptide vaccine designed to include epitopes from Lipoteichoic acid (LTA), Peptidoglycan (PGN), and Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) represents a novel approach to prevent bacterial infections and the subsequent development of sepsis. This vaccine would utilize key antigenic components of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, aiming to induce a robust and protective immune response against these pathogens, particularly targeting the toxins they release.
Vaccine Targets:
LTA: Derived from the cell walls of Gram-positive bacteria, opsonic LTA antibodies would help the immune system recognize and respond to a broad range of Gram-positive bacterial infections, particularly targeting the inflammatory responses induced by LTA toxins.
PGN: Targeting another major component of Gram-positive bacteria, opsonic PGN antibodies would enhance the immune response to peptidoglycan, which contributes to the structural integrity of bacteria and elicits an immune response upon detection.
LPS: Extracted from the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, opsonic LPS antibodies are crucial for eliciting an immune response against LPS, a potent endotoxin that triggers severe inflammatory responses in sepsis.
Mechanism of Action
The vaccine delivers specific bacterial epitopes to the immune system, allowing it to recognize these components and generate functional antibodies. The presence of the adjuvant amplifies this response, activating both the innate and adaptive arms of the immune system. This holistic vaccine helps the immune system quickly and efficiently target and neutralize bacteria and their toxins before they can cause significant damage. Antibodies generated by the vaccine would continuously remove the associated from the toxins when they enter the blood stream whether an infection is present of not.
Role in Preventing Bacterial Infections, Toxin Elimination, and Sepsis
Enhanced Immunogenicity: By presenting key epitopes from both classes of bacteria, the vaccine trains the immune system to recognize and swiftly attack these pathogens and their released toxins, reducing the risk of infection and toxin-mediated damage.
Direct Toxin Neutralization: The immune response generated against the LPS epitopes, in particular, can directly neutralize this toxin, thereby preventing the severe systemic inflammation typically seen in sepsis. LPS can enter the bloodstream from the gut without an active infection and has been implicated in a wide range of conditions from neurodegenerative disease to depression and anxiety to heart disease.
Reduction in Antibiotic Use: Effective vaccination reduces the need for antibiotics, a crucial benefit in the era of rising antibiotic resistance. This helps preserve antibiotic efficacy for more severe or resistant bacterial strains.
Decreased Sepsis Incidence: Preventing bacterial infections and directly neutralizing bacterial toxins significantly lowers the incidence and severity of sepsis. This proactive approach not only saves lives but also reduces healthcare costs associated with septic treatments.
Broad Coverage: By targeting both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, the vaccine ensures comprehensive protection, covering a wide spectrum of bacterial pathogens that commonly lead to infections and sepsis.
Partner
Collaborating with the world’s most experienced adjuvant group.
The Covid-19 pandemic has shown the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries that rapidly developed vaccines require a high standard of efficacy, scalability, adaptability, affordability, and minimal logistics to ensure widespread use.
That’s why Longhorn is working with one of the world’s most experienced adjuvant group, the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, to develop a universal influenza vaccine (LHNVD-105) with a low dose requirement and alternative routes of administration (e.g., intranasal/intradermal). This would eliminate the need for needles, making administration more accessible than other influenza vaccines in the developing world.
Through our Covid-19 and universal influenza vaccine programs, amongst other pathogen testing and vaccine tools under development, we will continue to innovate and expand our solution set.
Research
Pre-clinical studies suggest that LHNVD-105 provides broader coverage than current seasonal vaccines and is more cost-effective.
To ensure maximum coverage of different influenza strains, we have identified and validated conserved peptides from three key components of the influenza virus, in turn making it harder for these strains to escape the scope of the vaccine.
