Codagenix and Univercells Announce Research Collaboration on Undisclosed, High-Priority Human Vaccine Target with Global Public Health Demand

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. and BRUSSELS, May 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Codagenix Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing prophylactic vaccines and oncolytic virus therapies, and Univercells S.A., a global life sciences company using bioprocessing expertise and next-generation technologies to open access to bioproduction, today announced a research collaboration agreement on an undisclosed, high-priority human vaccine target with global public health demand. The partnership will leverage Codagenix’s Synthetic Attenuated Virus Engineering (SAVE) platform for safe, synthetic, live-attenuated virus vaccine development and Univercells’ viral vaccine process development and manufacturing capacity operated by Exothera, its contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO).

Codagenix is developing a live-attenuated vaccine against an undisclosed, high-priority target, for which it has successfully developed codon-pair deoptimized, attenuated virus cultured in Vero cells. Under the terms of the research collaboration agreement, Univercells will assess the Codagenix vaccine candidate in Univercells Technologies’ (a Univercells company) scale-X™ bioreactor system, with commercial production feasibility foreseen on the NevoLine™ Upstream manufacturing platform. The scale-X™ single-use bioreactor is designed to deliver intensified production of viral products by relying on a novel structured fixed-bed design. The NevoLine™ platform, the latest equipment of Univercells Technologies, is designed to enable the scalable production of viral vectors resulting in high production throughput and lower long-term operational costs.

“Univercells’ viral vaccine manufacturing capabilities are the perfect fit for Codagenix as we expand our portfolio of vaccines developed using our SAVE platform, which utilizes a computer algorithm to recode the genomes of viruses and construct live-attenuated vaccines. This proprietary system enables Codagenix to transform a dangerous viral pathogen into a safe vaccine or solid-tumor therapeutic,” said J. Robert Coleman, Ph.D., CEO of Codagenix. “Like COVI-VAC™, our single-dose, intranasal, live-attenuated vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, we believe the vaccine candidate now partnered with Univercells is well-positioned to address the shortcomings of existing interventions against a deadly global health challenge and -- if successful -- ensure large-scale availability at an affordable price.”

Hugues Bultot, CEO of Univercells, added: “Codagenix has identified what could be a highly potent vaccine against a high-priority disease target with persistent global public health demand. We believe this vaccine is ideally suited for production via Univercells’ proprietary manufacturing system and welcome the opportunity to work with Codagenix to advance its development.”

About Univercells, S.A.
Univercells is a global life sciences company that makes biologics available to all. Leveraging our core strengths in scaling, production, and bioprocessing, we build businesses and find new ways to support access to medicines and promote sustainability. Through entrepreneurship and technology-driven affordability, we address the needs of the entire health value chain. Univercells is headquartered in Gosselies (Belgium) and benefits from the support of regional and national investors, as well as international investors, such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, EIB, Global Health Investment Fund, among others active in the health and vaccine industry. Please visit www.univercells.com.

About Codagenix Inc.
Codagenix is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing prophylactic vaccines and oncolytic virus therapies. The company’s breakthrough Synthetic Attenuated Virus Engineering (SAVE) platform utilizes a computer algorithm to recode the genomes of viruses and construct live-attenuated vaccines to prevent viral infections or treat solid tumors. Codagenix has demonstrated its live-attenuated viruses stimulate a robust T cell and antibody immune response but are non-pathogenic. Codagenix possesses a deep pipeline of clinical and pre-clinical programs including vaccine candidates for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 (COVI-VAC™); respiratory syncytial virus (CodaVax™-RSV) in Phase I testing; influenza (CodaVax™-H1N1); dengue virus; and triple negative breast cancer (using a rationally designed virus). To date, as part of Phase 1 clinical studies, 194 healthy volunteers ranging in age from 18 to 75 years old have received Codagenix vaccines. Codagenix was founded based on technology developed in the laboratory of National Academy of Science member Dr. Eckard Wimmer at Stony Brook University, and is supported by Adjuvant Capital, TopSpin Partners, and Euclidean Capital. The company has ongoing research and license programs with various federal agencies. Please visit codagenix.com. .

Media Contacts:
Codagenix
Tiberend Strategic Advisors, Inc.
Johanna Bennett & Ingrid Mezo
jbennett@tiberend.com / 1-212-375-2686
imezo@tiberend.com / 1-646-604-5150

Univercells S.A.
Alexandra Deschner
VP MarCom & IR
investors@univercells.com
+32-490-58-35-23

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SOURCE Codagenix Inc.