Immunethep gets funding from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Immunethep, a spin-off company from the University of Porto that was born in 2014 at ICBAS and actively collaborated with i3S for the pre-clinical PNV1 vaccine trials, recently saw its work recognized by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). Based on a new scientific approach, this biotechnology company has been developing antibacterial immunotherapies capable of protecting a wide range of population segments from newborns to the old.

Since 2015 Immunethep has been conducting pre-clinical trials with the PNV1 vaccine, an immunotherapy developed based on the discovery of a new mechanism of immunosuppression shared by some of the most dangerous and deadly bacteria (Staphylococcus Aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escheria Coli and Group B Streptococcus). PNV1 is the first vaccine effective in preventing infections caused by all serotypes of a set of bacteria, including multiresistant bacteria. It was the effectiveness of the preclinical model, which presented a wide range of protection, coupled with the proven safety results, which raised the interest of the Foundation led by Bill Gates.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is a worldwide organization with a clear goal of reducing infections in underdeveloped countries. According to Pedro Madureira, an i3S researcher and chief scientific officer of Immunethep, the support of this Foundation «may allow the development and application of a new product that could contribute to the prevention of infections in infants in these countries. Most of the infections in these developing countries occur in rural settings, where medical care is practically nonexistent. Hence, the objective of this project is the development of antibodies that can be administered orally (drunk), which does not require the specialized professionals to take. Because of this, the treatment is expected to reach more people and save more babies».

At this point, adds Madureira, «the two immunotherapies we are developing are the vaccine (PNV) and monoclonal antibodies specific for bacterial GAPDH». The support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, «will accelerate the process of development and entry into clinical trials of antibody-based immunotherapy».