ISNES, Belgium, April 09, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ERC Worldwide today announced the launch of the Company’s development program for its therapeutic and prophylactic vaccine against the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. The technology is based on ERC’s Gliovac/ERC1671 glioblastoma vaccine platform currently in an FDA approved clinical trial in the US.
ERC’s SARS-Cov-2 vaccine is a new and unique vaccine concept created from human cell lines infected with SARS-Cov-2 virus. Unlike most vaccines, ERC’s product will not be composed of static antigens or viral particles. Instead, ERC has developed a vaccine containing virions, viral proteins at different stages of viral replication, as well as whole human cells and cellular fragments, composing all elements of viral replication. Thus, a powerful immune response is triggered to react to the whole universe of antigens involved in the viral infection. This unique approach is to induce a robust immune response against the SARS-Cov-2 virus, producing potent immunity and prophylaxis in non-infected patients in addition to a therapeutic treatment for patients with active COVID-19 disease.
To prevent infection with SARS-Cov-2 virus (prophylaxis), the vaccine will be given in one double shot. A booster vaccine would be given at 3 months if adequate IgG immunity was not achieved in noninfected patients.
The therapeutic form of the vaccine to treat infected patients will be given as five double shots over twelve days 3 to 4 days apart (for example: Monday, Thursday, Sunday, Wednesday and Saturday). Each injection pair will consist of a whole irradiated cell injection, a cell lysate injection, along with GM-CSF as an immune adjuvant. The vaccine is subjected to gamma radiation which will prevent any possibility of transmitting the infection to a patient. It is likely that this will generate a therapeutic immune reaction that could resolve symptoms and cure infected patients in very short order. Possibly after as few as 2 injection pairs. If realized, this could dramatically decrease the number of the patients progressing to Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) and multi organ failure, the most devastating and life-threatening complications of COVID-19.
“We are extremely encouraged and excited by this opportunity to apply our world-leading immune-oncology technology in the field of infectious disease especially to SARS-Cov-2 the greatest threat to public health facing the world in the last one hundred years. ERC’s SARS-Cov-2 technology is covered by pending patent applications which we plan to expand to prophylaxis and therapy of other intractable infectious diseases such as Ebola and other viruses. We hope to enroll our first subjects in the coming weeks and will provide updates in the near future,” commented Apostolos Stathopoulos, M.D., Ph.D., President and CEO of ERC Worldwide.
About ERC’s SARS-Cov-2 Vaccine:
The SARS-Cov-2 vaccine is an advanced immunotherapy based on human cells and lysates that have been infected with the SARS-Cov-2 virus which stimulates the patient’s immune system to recognize and reject whole virus, unassembled virus particles and cellular apparatus that has been taken over to reproduce the virus. Upon injection, this mixture stimulates the patient’s immune system to mount an immune response against the virus and its reproductive machinery, which may lead to their destruction.
About ERC:
Epitopoietic Research Corporation (ERC-Worldwide), is a clinical stage emerging biopharmaceutical company developing a safe, highly effective approach for the treatment of cancer, particularly cancers of the brain as well as emerging infectious diseases such as SARS-Cov-2, Ebola and other viruses. ERC has built a network of leading clinicians in several countries in the world, among others in the US and Europe to propel its immunotherapies through clinical development and to market. ERC’s regimen of therapeutic vaccines has shown early promise in patients suffering from recurrent Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the deadliest of brain cancers. ERC is now applying its world leading immunotherapy technology to infectious diseases such as SARS-Cov-2, Ebola and other virus without any efficient treatment or prophylaxis.
The company’s therapeutic approach can be potentially applied to many other types of solid cancers. Based in Belgium, ERC has subsidiaries in the U.S.A., Canada, Australia and an international presence throughout country specific agreements within Europe. To learn more, please visit http://erc-immunotherapy.com.
Contact:
Jules Abraham
JQA Partners, Inc.
917-885-7378
jabraham@jqapartners.com