Tonix Pharmaceuticals to Develop Three New Horsepox-Based COVID-19 Vaccines

Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. (New York, NY, USA) and the University of Alberta (Edmonton, Canada) have entered into a new research collaboration and exclusive licensing agreement for three new vaccines for the prevention of COVID-19.

The new collaboration will develop three new potential vaccines, TNX-1810, TNX-1820 and TNX-1830, to protect against COVID-19 based on the horsepox vector platform, but designed to express different SARS-CoV-2 antigens than TNX-1800, which is designed to express SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein. Horsepox and vaccinia are closely related orthopoxviruses that are believed to share a common ancestor. Live replicating orthopoxviruses, like vaccinia or horsepox, can be engineered to express foreign genes and have been explored as platforms for vaccine development because they possess certain characteristics.

Under the terms of the research collaboration agreement, Tonix has been granted an exclusive license from the University of Alberta for technology and patents related to TNX-1810, TNX-1820 and TNX-1830. Tonix will conduct further studies to test the safety and efficacy of the three new potential vaccines in preventing COVID-19 that are in the Pre-Investigational New Drug (IND) application stage of development.

“We are excited to expand our pipeline and look forward to developing three additional potential vaccines, TNX-1810, TNX-1820 and TNX-1830 to protect against COVID-19,” said Seth Lederman, M.D., Tonix's President and Chief Executive Officer. “We are delighted to extend our relationship with David Evans, Ph.D., FCAHS, Professor and former Vice-Dean (Research) Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Alberta and principal investigator of the TNX-1810, TNX-1820 and TNX-1830 research project, and Ryan Noyce, Ph.D., Research Associate in Professor Evans’ laboratory at the University of Alberta. Drs. Evans and Noyce synthesized horsepox, which is now our TNX-801 potential vaccine for smallpox and monkeypox. Horsepox is the vector system that is the backbone of the TNX-1800 vaccine that is designed to express the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein, which Tonix is developing for the prevention of COVID-19 in collaboration with the Southern Research Institute. Horsepox is also the vector system for the new TNX-1810, TNX-1820 and TNX-1830 vaccines. TNX-801 is designed to elicit predominantly T cell responses, while the new vaccines are designed to elicit almost purely T cell responses.”

“We are excited to extend our productive collaboration with Tonix. Tonix brings expertise in immunology, particularly with Dr. Lederman’s direct involvement in these programs, which complements our expertise in virology. TNX-1810, TNX-1820 and TNX-1830 are designed to express different protein antigens from SARS-CoV-2,” said Dr. Evans. “It is currently unknown what type of vaccine and which antigens from SARS-CoV-2 will provide effective protection from COVID-19. Orthopoxviruses like horsepox induce strong innate and adaptive immunity and long-lasting T-cell immunity. We have designed TNX-1810, TNX-1820 and TNX-1830 to express and induce immunity to SARS-CoV-2 proteins that are different from Spike. We are delighted to be extending our collaboration with Tonix to bring these candidate vaccines through further development and testing.”

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Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp.
University of Alberta