Affinivax to collaboration with ClearPath and Astellas to develop vaccines to prevent nosocomial infections

Collaboration will utilize Affinivax’s novel MAPS Vaccine Technology Platform.

HAIs are a significant global health concern, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimating that 4% of patients in the US will contract an HAI each year in medical facilities, including ambulatory surgical centers, hospice centers, nursing homes and rehabilitation centers. JAMA Internal Medicine has reported that HAIs cost $9.8 billion annually in the US alone. Bacterial nosocomial infections represent one of the most common HAIs, caused by bacteria that are highly resistant to available antibiotic therapies. In addition to the limitations of current treatments against nosocomial infections, there are no vaccines available today for prevention.

“Healthcare associated infections represent a major medical challenge today for healthcare workers and patients, and development of a vaccine for prevention of these deadly infections would achieve a major public health goal,” said Dr Richard Malley, Affinivax’s scientific founder, Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and Kenneth McIntosh Chair in Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Boston Children’s Hospital. “I am thrilled to see Affinivax now advance our MAPS vaccines beyond Streptococcus pneumoniae and potentially having a significant impact on patient care by preventing these treatment-resistant infections.”

“We are very pleased to have the opportunity to work with NVC to deploy Affinivax’s technology for this important initiative to develop a vaccine to prevent nosocomial infections,” said Steven B. Brugger, CEO of Affinivax. “This collaboration provides us the opportunity to leverage the power of the MAPS technology to develop vaccines that can protect against infectious diseases, such as nosocomial infections, for which there are no effective immunization strategies available for children and adults today.”