The Estonian biotechnology company, Icosagen AS, and the Finnish firm, FIT Biotech Oy, have started collaboration to develop a new anti-ebola vaccine and biological therapeutics in order to prevent viral infection or treat already infected patients.
Product developments, which are based on the technologies patented by the two companies, are being used to simultaneously create means for so-called passive and active immune therapy.
Also taking part in the development work is the core laboratory of applied virology of the Tartu University Institute of Technology. Partners from France and Switzerland will be engaged during the clinical stage of testing of the vaccines and the biological therapeutics, which is planned to start in 2016.
Icosagen’s patented QMCF technology has been successfully licensed to a series of large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and is being used in the development and production of virus-like particles, antibodies, recombinant proteins, and other biological therapeutics.
FIT Biotech’s patented Gene Transport Unit technology has been successfully tested in the therapeutic HIV vaccine, also developed by the company.
