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Gonoccoccal Vaccine/Therapy from Neisseria meningitidis

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Technology Summary

Neisseria is a genus of gram-negative bacteria that colonize the mucosal surfaces of many animals and can be caused by meningococcal serogroup B (MenB) strains, which in the United States account for one-third of all invasive N. meningitidis infections and 60% of those in infants. N meningitidis remains a significant cause of global morbidity and mortality, despite the availability of serogroup A-, C-, W-, and Y-specific capsular polysaccharide (Ps) vaccines.

This invention is an immunogenic composition comprising the outer membrane vesicles (OMV) from ΔPorAΔPorBΔRmpM N. meningitidis. The bacteria’s adaptation to the removal of these proteins results in the expression of outer membrane protein (OMP) profiles that are more antigenic and more immunogenic. Antibodies from rabbits immunized with ΔPorAΔPorBΔRmpM exhibited the bactericidal capacity to kill wild type meningococcal strains MC58, Cu395, BB1350, Ch501, BB1473. OMV vaccines from these deletion mutants also induce a cross-protective immune response against N. gonorrhoeae.

Potential Commercial Applications Competitive Advantages
  • A therapy against N. meningitidis and N. gonorrhoeae 
  • A protective vaccine against N. meningitidis and N. gonorrhoeae
  • Cross protective antibody responses between N. meningitidis and N. gonorrhoeae
  • Cost effective alternative to BEXSERO

Development Stage: In vitro, pre-clinical

Inventors: Margaret Bash, Kathryn Mathias

Publications: Matthias KA, Connolly KL, Begum AA, Jerse AE, Macintyre AN, Sempowski GD, Bash MC. Meningococcal Detoxified Outer Membrane Vesicle Vaccines Enhance Gonococcal Clearance in a Murine Infection Model. J Infect Dis. 2022 Feb 15;225(4):650-660. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiab450.

Intellectual Property:

U.S. Patent US11464845B2 was filed July 2, 2018

WIPO (PCT) WO2019018744A1 was filed July 2, 2018

Product Area: vaccine candidate; infectious disease therapy

FDA Reference No: E-2017-006

Licensing Contact:
FDA Technology Transfer Program
Email: FDAInventionlicensing@fda.hhs.gov

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