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Delivering immune stimulating antigens to specific areas of the gut, using proprietary encapsulation technologies, with the objective of activating protective ‘mucosal immunity’
By delivering vaccines to the gut, oral vaccines can trigger ‘mucosal immunity’ which prevents pathogens infecting the body by producing a protective response in the areas of the body where there is a high level of infectious threat, such as the gut and respiratory system, and prevents the transmission and growth of pathogens that cause disease.
In comparison to intramuscular injections which generate systemic immunity (individuals become infected before blood-borne immunity can take effect), the oral vaccine approach prevents infections from taking hold in the body by counteracting them at the point of entry.
In January 2022, we acquired an exclusive license to AnaBio’s encapsulation technology for oral vaccine delivery.
Benefits of Oral Vaccines
EncOVac, a consortium led by Poolbeg Pharma, was awarded €2.3 million in grant funding under the Irish Government’s Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (‘DTIF’) to develop a Phase I clinical trial ready oral vaccine candidate.
This three-year collaboration between Poolbeg Pharma, University College Dublin, Trinity College Dublin and AnaBio Technologies will result in a technology which will serve as a platform for additional oral vaccine candidates for a wide range of pathogens, initially targeting bacterial infections.
Validation of the encapsulation process is progressing well and once this has been successfully validated, the consortium will proceed to encapsulate vaccine antigen candidates developed by Associate Professor Siobhán McClean at University College Dublin together with adjuvants identified by Professor Ed Lavelle at Trinity College Dublin. This oral vaccine candidate will then complete all required non-clinical testing in preparation for a Phase I clinical trial.
“Oral vaccines are currently only available to treat a small number of pathogens and a more comprehensive approach to vaccine development is needed to design new, safe, and effective oral vaccines. Such a system would revolutionise our approach to protecting people from infectious diseases, unleashing their full potential.”
Prof Luke O’Neill, Non-Executive Director, Scientific Advisory Board and Project Advisory Board Chair
