Rational Vaccines, Inc.

The partnership will further therapeutic and prophylactic vaccine development for the Chinese market and beyond. WOBURN, Ma. and SHENZHEN, China, Oct. 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Rational Vaccines (RVx) and Shenzhen Mellow Hope Pharm Industrial Co., Ltd. (MH) announced they have reached an agreement to jointly develop, manufacture, and commercialize live vaccines against herpes simplex viruses (HSV-1 and HSV-2). "For over 40 years there have been a multitude of failed attempts to create a herpes vaccine using recombinant protein subunit-based vaccines. The data shows this approach will not work for HSV," said Agustin Fernandez III, CEO and Founder at RVx. "We are confident a live attenuated vaccine is the only way to combat and prevent herpetic disease. We are excited that the top vaccine experts in China share our vision. It is an honor to tackle this mission with our partners at MH." Professor Frank Zhuang, Vice Chairman of Virology at the Chinese Medical Association, said, "The Chinese population, like many globally, suffers from the spread of herpes and lacks awareness of the associated risks. There is no pharmaceutical or TCM solution to herpes and these vaccines represent an invaluable new solution to a broad population." The vaccines will be advanced in China using RVx's proprietary virus mutants. The live HSV-2 viruses used in the vaccines are engineered to be replication-competent and are unable to establish latency in the nervous system. The immune system responds by attacking the weakened virus and eliminating it from the body. The targeted immune response elicited by RVx vaccines has the potential to also defend against viral reactivation in patients who are already infected with either HSV-1 or HSV-2 These viruses have received support from the US National Institute of Health (NIH) and the vaccines have received the coveted Innovative Access and License Pathway (ILAP) designation by MHRA, to accelerate development and approval in the United Kingdom. Zhuang said MH was impressed with the technology and the associated data. "We are convinced these vaccines will greatly improve the major public health issue of herpetic diseases, so often misunderstood and neglected," he said. While several vaccines have been evaluated for preventing and treating HSV infections, none have received FDA approval. RVx aims to be the first. About Rational Vaccines Rational Vaccines develops rationally engineered, live attenuated viral immunotherapeutic and prophylactic vaccine candidates, focused on combating herpetic diseases. Led by a team of world-renowned scientists and aligning to regulatory guidelines, we believe our technology will revolutionize the treatment, prevention, and diagnosis of herpes and herpes-related diseases. For more information go to . Media inquiries can be directed to [email protected]. About Shenzhen Mellow Hope Pharm Industrial Co., Ltd. Shenzhen Mellow Hope Pharm Industrial Co., Ltd. is a leading vaccine supplier in P.R.C. and the #1 Chinese Vaccine Exporter before the Covid pandemic. For more information go to Media inquiries can be directed to [email protected]. SOURCE Rational Vaccines

National Institute of Health Provides Support for Herpes Simplex Virus Testing and Treatment WOBURN, Mass., Oct. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Rational Vaccines (RVx) was recently awarded $2.8 million in National Institute of Health (NIH) funding to help further its research to diagnose, treat and prevent the spread of the Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV). Continue Reading It is estimated that more than half of the human population harbors a life-long latent HSV infection. While many people associate HSV with genital herpes, one of the most prevalent Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) in the world, the virus can present itself in a variety of ways from ocular herpes to the common cold sore. Research shows HSV can have severe lasting effects on a person's health including blindness, dementia and more. Rational Vaccines Receives Funding to Further Herpes Research Tweet this "The lasting health implications of HSV make it a dangerous disease and one that we, in the medical and scientific community, must take more seriously. We look forward to continuing our work and further our research with the help of NIH," said Dr. Edward Gershburg, Chief Technology Officer. RVx received three separate grants. The first is to help develop a new diagnostic test, suitable for routine population-based screening. Current screening methods are limited to detecting active infections in people with high viral loads, often making them unreliable. RVx is developing a novel HSV type-specific test that will provide improved sensitivity and reduce instances of false-negative diagnosis. The second project is a live-attenuated HSV-1 strain "VC2" meant to prevent and treat ocular herpes. A live-attenuated virus is a weakened (attenuated) virus that can multiply within the host to a limited extent and is engineered to be unable to cause any disease. This is an especially important study, because HSV-1 can result in irreparable cornea damage and is a major cause of blindness worldwide. The third undertaking is the development and manufacturing of a prophylactic and therapeutic HSV vaccine that will be essential to curbing the spread of herpes. Through an exclusive license with Louisiana State University (LSU), Rational Vaccines is developing a novel immunomodulatory vaccine engineered to help the body recognize the virus and eliminate it without making the person sick. While several vaccines have been evaluated for the prevention and treatment of HSV infections, none has received FDA approval. RVx aims to be the first. "At Rational Vaccines, we have been working on vaccines long before the pandemic made them popular. We have always known how chronically debilitating herpetic diseases can be, especially for marginalized communities that are disproportionately affected. It is very encouraging that the NIAID is supporting our live attenuated approach to herpetic disease treatment and prevention," said Agustin Fernandez, RVx Chief Executive Officer." After many decades of failure with recombinant protein subunit-based vaccine approaches, we are convinced that our proprietary limited replication competent mutants are the only way to defeat this virus. Our mission at Rational Vaccines remains the same as it has been since our inception — to rid the world of HSV. This brings us one step closer." About Rational Vaccines Rational Vaccines develops rationally engineered, live attenuated viral immunotherapeutic and prophylactic vaccine candidates, particularly focused on combating all diseases resulting from herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) and herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) infections. The company currently has several vaccine candidates in the pipeline. We are confident that our technology will revolutionize the treatment, prevention, and diagnosis of herpes and herpes-related diseases so we can bring hope and healing to a world ravaged by this deadly disease. FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information go to . Media inquiries can be directed to [email protected]. SOURCE Rational Vaccines

Jeffrey Madden is a Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at ADvantage Therapeutics, which is a clinical biotechnology firm developing a novel immunotherapy for Alzheimer’s Disease. His career spans more than 20 years in the investment management industry including Partner and Portfolio Manager at IronBridge Capital Management and Senior Vice President and Portfolio Manager at RMB Capital. He also worked at Accenture in the Retail Management Consulting Practice. Jeffrey is an active board member and lead investor of Rational Vaccines, which is developing therapeutic and prophylactic live attenuated vaccines for HSV-1 and HSV-2. He also serves on the boards of Leading India’s Future Today, which offers educational programs attuned to sound economic thinking; and the Bartley J. Madden Foundation, which creates employment opportunities for those most in need. Jeffrey graduated from the University of Iowa with Business Honors and Distinction.