Corporate Profile
Virax, based in Melbourne, Australia, is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of novel immunotherapeutic products for the treatment of chronic infectious diseases and cancer.
Virax is developing immunotherapeutics based upon its Co-X-GeneTM and fowlpox virus (FPV) delivery technologies. Co-X-GeneTM distinguishes itself from other immunotherapies by enabling co-expression of antigens and cytokines in DNA vaccines so as to manipulate the immune system in the appropriate fashion to treat disease. Toxic side effects are minimized by local presentation of antigen and cytokine to the immune system via Virax's Fowlpox Vector Delivery Technology. The Virax Co-X-GeneTM technology enables rapid, scalable generation of lead immunotherapeutics in multiple therapeutic areas. Virax is developing Co-X-GeneTM based vaccines for the treatment of HIV, hepatitis B virus and prostate cancer.
The Company's lead product, VIR201, an HIV/AIDS immunotherapeutic (therapeutic vaccine), has been tested successfully in two clinical trials in Australia. The therapeutic vaccine when administered to HIV infected individuals was safe and well tolerated and showed an ability to suppress viral load when compared with a placebo group. This potential ability to suppress viral load in the proof of concept trial marks VIR201 as one of the most advanced therapeutic vaccines for HIV to have undergone clinical testing. Consequently additional international studies are planned. Regulatory clearance has been received from the US FDA to perform Phase II testing of VIR201. The Company has also received approval from the South African regulatory authority (MCC) to conduct a Phase I/IIa trial of VIR201. Funding for the African trial has been contributed by a consortium of global and South African resource companies led by BHP Billiton.
In March 2007 Transgene (Eurolist Paris: FR0005175080) executed a Licence Agreement with the Company for access to Co-X-GeneTM technology for use in two of Transgene's immunotherapeutic products. These are TG4001 - a treatment for pathologies relating to human papilloma virus (HPV) infection that can lead to cervical cancer - and TG4010 - a treatment for non-small cell lung cancer. This was reported to the ASX in the Company's announcement of 13 March 2007 and is referred to as the "Transgene Sub-licence". Both TG4001 and TG4010 are in advanced development with Phase III trials of TG4001 planned for 2008 and Phase IIb studies of TG4010 currently underway. Transgene has licensed TG4001 to the pharmaceutical company Roche for treatment of HPV related pathologies. TG4010 met its primary endpoint for progression free survival at six months in the ongoing Phase IIb study with the response rate being substantially higher for the combination of TG4010 with chemotherapy compared to chemotherapy alone. The Virax-Transgene Licence Agreement allows Virax to share in fees and milestone payments in the event that Transgene sub-licences out either of the products and reaches development milestones. In addition Virax will receive a royalty on net sales for the licensed products in North America.