MediciNova Inc. (NASDAQ:MNOV) announced that its intranasal COVID-19 vaccine candidate that is employing the BC-PIV tech, induced systemic serum IgG as well as mucosal IgA antibodies successfully against the SARS-CoV-2 S1 antigen in mice.
BC-PIV SARS-CoV-2 vaccine shows an increase in IgA and IgG antibodies
The company conducted a mouse model study assessing the mucosal IgA and systemic IgG antibody production against the SARS-CoV-2 S1 antigen following intranasal vaccination with its BC-PIV SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate. The study results indicated a high IgA antibody titer versus S1 AG in mice nasal lavage fluid after intranasal vaccination with the vaccine prototype. Equally, there was a high IgG antibody titer confirmed against S1 Ag in mice serum.
MediciNova CEO and President Yuichi Iwaki said they were delighted that their intranasal BC-PIV SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate induced high mucosal IgA and systemic serum IgG neutralizing antibody titers in the mouse study model. Yuichi said that the encouraging results support the technical and scientific rationale of the intranasal vaccine combined with the success witnessed with bioComo’s BC-PIV RSV vaccine candidate. He added that the company was looking forward to releasing more progress regarding the intranasal SARS-CoV-2 vaccine going forward.
MediciNova vaccine employed BC-PIV technology to increase antigenicity
BC-PIV is a proprietary non-transmissible viral vector derived from recombinant hPIV2 and was co-developed by Mie University and BioComo. The viral vector is very vital ion transferring foreign proteins to individuals due to its strong safety profile. BC-PIV has been designed not to allow secondary viruses, and it displays the gene and the protein inside and outside the viral membrane. As a result, it is capable of carrying large membrane proteins of viruses as well as ligand proteins or signal transduction receptors on the surface of the virus.
Most importantly, BC-PIV can carry proteins requiring proper 3D or multimeric structure while at the same time maintaining that structure. Therefore is shows good immunogenicity against antigen proteins. The company developed the BC-PIV SARS-CoV-2 vaccine to include the antigen protein of SARS-CoV-2 to express maximum antigenicity.
