hVIVO PLC (AIM:HVO) chief scientific officer Andrew Catchpole talked with Proactive about the company’s latest developments in human challenge models across multiple viral pathogens.
Catchpole explained that hVIVO presented new data at the European Scientific Working Group on Influenza (ESWI) and the World Vaccine Congress, highlighting the role of challenge models in expediting vaccine and antiviral development. “Challenge models give a really good opportunity to get fast proof of concept data very, very quickly,” he said.
He detailed progress on several new models, including those for RSV B, HMPV, and Omicron. The HMPV model addresses a critical unmet medical need, as there are currently no approved treatments or vaccines. Catchpole said the model supports fast-tracked development of interventions for at-risk populations such as infants and the elderly.
The finalised Omicron challenge model reflects real-world conditions, targeting vaccinated or previously exposed individuals. This enables the evaluation of next-generation or pan-coronavirus vaccines.
Catchpole also outlined how the RSV B model complements existing RSV A research, particularly for assessing combination vaccines across both strains. These models can serve both as early-stage proof of concept and as supplementary data to traditional phase 2 or 3 studies.
Looking ahead, hVIVO is expanding into respiratory conditions like asthma and COPD, and through its acquisition of CRS, is moving into cardiometabolic and renal disease models. The company is also extending its lab capabilities with next-generation sequencing and digital PCR tools.
Proactive: Andrew, very good to speak with you. hVIVO has shared some positive data from multiple novel human challenge models presented at some key conferences. Could you give us an overview of these conferences and why it is key for hVIVO to be there?
Andrew Catchpole: Yes, it's correct. We've been at the European Scientific Working Group on Influenza meeting, often known as ESWI, and also the World Vaccine Congress. These are both really important conferences for the area that we work in. These conferences bring together a real range of experts — those developing products and academics doing the core research crucial to developing new products.
At these conferences, bringing together that level of expertise, it's important that hVIVO are there and presenting the work that we do so the awareness of these models becomes far greater. We see great interest from our clients in the type of work we’re doing and in the new models that are available and can be brought to market. This helps us test products and get them to market faster.
Proactive: Andrew, why is it important to run these challenge model studies? And why is the data so important?
Andrew Catchpole: The challenge models give a really good opportunity to get proof-of-concept data very quickly. This can be really important in making decisions early. If a product is not working, it's important to know that early on. If it is working, you can move forward and potentially fast-track that product.
We presented the development of new challenge models at these recent conferences. This expands the types of pathogens against which products can be tested. The first phase involves making a medical-grade version of the virus — a GMP virus. We have unique expertise at hVIVO to do this. We then test them in what we call a characterisation study, where healthy volunteers are given the virus under quarantine conditions.
From this, we observe the disease time course, infection rates, and symptom profile. This data helps power future vaccine or antiviral testing and is a crucial step forward.
Proactive: HMPV was very big in the media last winter. Can you tell us more about your HMPV challenge model and why it's so important?
Andrew Catchpole: HMPV — or human metapneumovirus — is a really important pathogen. RSV has become well-known recently due to the rollout of RSV vaccines, and hVIVO was proud to have been involved through human challenge studies that first demonstrated proof of concept for protection against this virus family.
HMPV is the next in this family. It has a similar profile to RSV in terms of target groups — primarily babies, infants, and the elderly. Researchers are now moving to tackle this unmet need. At hVIVO, we have developed a challenge model for HMPV to support vaccine and antiviral testing. Currently, there are no treatments or vaccines for HMPV, so this model can help fast-track development of those countermeasures.
Proactive: hVIVO also announced details of the finalised Omicron challenge model. What makes this unique?
Andrew Catchpole: The Omicron challenge model is unique because it reflects the real-world scenario. When we ran the first coronavirus challenge model during the pandemic, it was in physiologically naïve volunteers — people who hadn’t been vaccinated or exposed to the virus.
That’s no longer the case. Now, most people have been vaccinated or exposed. This Omicron model reflects that current state, where most people have some level of immunity. It allows us to test new vaccines and countermeasures in people who have pre-existing immunity.
Omicron was also the first virus to cause breakthrough infections. We've now demonstrated that our model can establish infections in previously vaccinated individuals, making it a valuable tool to test next-generation or pan-coronavirus vaccines — which are important for pandemic preparedness.
Proactive: RSV B was another focus area. How does this fit into hVIVO’s broader strategy?
Andrew Catchpole: RSV B is another world first — the first RSV B challenge model ever developed. Following the successful rollout of RSV A vaccines, researchers are looking at combination vaccines that protect against RSV, HMPV, and parainfluenza — and need coverage for both RSV A and B.
Until now, there was no RSV B challenge model. Now we have both A and B, which is important for early-stage proof-of-concept testing and also as a complement to phase 2 or 3 studies. In real-world studies, you're dependent on what’s circulating in a given year — it may be RSV A one year, RSV B the next.
If only one strain is circulating, it’s hard to show broad-spectrum efficacy. Our models allow complementary studies to fill in that gap and demonstrate efficacy across both strains.
Proactive: Andrew, what's next for the scientific team?
Andrew Catchpole: The scientific team is always busy. Our long-standing goal is to develop new models and expand the utility we can offer to our clients. We're responding to scientific and client demand — for example, HMPV is being worked on by researchers, so we’ve developed a model for it.
We're also expanding into other respiratory areas like asthma and COPD, where we’ve successfully recruited patients for trials. Additionally, following our acquisition of CRS, we're now working in cardiometabolic and renal indications.
We’re broadening our expertise and lab capabilities, including adding digital PCR, next-generation sequencing, and a wide range of immunological and biological assays. Our aim is to continue developing tools to help our clients move forward.
Proactive: Andrew, I hope you'll continue to keep us updated with your progress on that. Thank you very much for taking the time today.