Poolbeg Pharma PLC (AIM:POLB, OTCQB:POLBF) said important preclinical work is starting on a programme to produce a breakthrough oral vaccine - a venture that is backed by non-dilutive grant funding from the Irish government's Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund, investors were told.
The update comes as the Poolbeg-led EncOVac Consortium enters the project's next phase to validate the encapsulation process, which is expected to be completed in the second half of this year.
"The validation of the encapsulation process is a key step in the creation of a phase I clinical trial-ready oral vaccine candidate and Poolbeg is proud to lead the EncOVac Consortium," said Poolbeg chief executive, Jeremy Skillington.
"Delivering oral vaccines to the gut has the potential to revolutionise global protection against infectious disease. In contrast to intramuscular vaccines that generate systemic immunity, oral vaccines induce mucosal immunity, which can induce better protection against pathogens at the site of infection."
This three-year initiative aims to develop a phase I clinical trial-ready oral vaccine candidate using antigen candidates developed at University College Dublin and Trinity College Dublin-produced adjuvants that provoke a more robust immune response.
The programme presents a significant commercial opportunity, Poolbeg said.
The platform could generate vaccines for numerous diseases, which could be licensed to partners or developed internally.