TGA approves VacTX vaccine trials

Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has approved a clinical trial of a new immunotherapeutic vaccine for chronic hepatitis C infection, developed by VacTX, a joint venture between EqiTX (ASX:EQX) and the CRC for Vaccine Technology.

The trial, to be conducted under the TGA's Clinical Trial Exception Scheme, will be the first to test VacTX's proprietary lipopeptide vaccine technology, which has been hailed as potentially revolutionary.

The immunotherapeutic effect of the vaccine is produced by stimulating the patient's own immune system with a synthetic lipopeptide vaccine based on epitopes from the hepatitis C virus.

Dr Kevin Fahey, EqiTX director and chairman of VacTX, said EqiTX would be following the trial's progress with interest, because it would be the first time a lipopeptide vaccine based on VacTX's technology has been used in a clinical setting. A positive outcome from the study would be an important step in the technology's development.

The trial will involve researchers from the MacFarlane Burnet Research Institute, the University of Melbourne, Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute, Australian Red Cross Blood Service, Mater Medical Research institute and Monash Medical Centre.

The research consortium was awarded a major grant from the US National Institutes of Health in 2003, to fund the study.

EqiTX CEO Sue MacLeman said that 170 million people worldwide are chronically infected with HCV, and another 3 to 4 million new infections occur every year. The virus is a major cause of acute hepatitis and chronic liver disease.

"Due to the side-effects and limited efficacy of available therapies, there is a significant demand for improved treatment options," MacLeman said.