Prima technology showing positive results

Prima Biomed's (ASX: PRR) vaccine platform technology has taken another step towards success by triggering a strong immune response in large animals, the company reported today.

The Melbourne company revealed that early tests on a small number of sheep had shown that its DCtag technology helped boost the animals' immune systems.

"The outcome of this latest sheep trial is very encouraging and as a result we will immediately commence further studies to give us a more detailed picture of the immune response," said CEO Marcus Clark.

The DCtag is a vaccine delivery system based around the actions of dendritic cells, and is intended to work by promoting a response by two immune cell types - antibody and killer T-cells.

According to Prima Biomed, the technology could be used in the treatment of such diseases as cancer, malaria, influenza, rotavirus and bacterial infections such as E. coli and tuberculosis.

In November last year, the company announced the technology had been used to successfully immunise mice against malaria, with high antibody levels persisting for four months after the treatment. It also showed an anti-tumour response in the rodents.

Clark said the next stage of research would examine the relative potency and range of activity of the immune response caused by the DCtag.

"These further experiments will take up to six months and are designed to demonstrate that DCtag can induce the same levels of antibody and killer T-cells in sheep as was demonstrated in mice," he said.

"If successful, Prima would then explore whether the antibodies and killer T cells produced by DCtag provide protection against a known infection in sheep, cattle or pigs."

He said the study would involve vaccinating animals with a DCtag vaccine, exposing them to the infectious organism of interest and then monitoring them to see if they remained infection free, with the company currently evaluating potential infectious disease models for the study.

Clark said that while large animal studies were a vital part of the research process to take the technology towards human trials, they could also provide licensing opportunities with veterinary supply companies.