EXD-12 is a live attenuated vaccine candidate being researched and developed to prevent and treat the Herpes Simplex Virus. EXD-12 is going to be tested as a prophylactic and therapeutic vaccine candidate in the guinea pig model. EXD-12 is currently in preclinical testing for safety and efficacy as both a prophylactic and therapeutic vaccine for both Herpes Simplex Virus-1, HSV-1, and Herpes Simplex Virus-2, HSV-2. We hope to have published preclinical data by year end 2019.
Excell Biotech is setting out to clinically test a Herpes vaccine which may be also a possible
therapeutic intervention in humans. For 30 years, vaccines against Herpes have failed. Research groups have tried subunit vaccines
repeatedly and failed. New data indicates that glycoprotein D acts as a decoy, so the immune system is not able to
form an effective antibody response to other antigens. Without glycoprotein D, Herpes is visible
to the immune system and is also unable to spread between cells.The majority of the human population is either infected with HSV1 (predominantly oral) orHSV2 (mostly genital). Most people think of it just as an annoyance but there are lots of diseases associated with Herpes
•Cancer via inhibition of cellular safety mechanisms such as p53
•Chronic nerve pain and neurological disease
•Increased likelihood of contracting HIV
•Vertical transmission to infants, resulting in death
•Potential associations with Alzheimers
A big question is whether this therapy can confer cross-protection against Eppstein-Barr virus
and CMV, as a paper suggests that HSV antibodies can be cross-reactive.
30 years of literature show that live attenuated Herpes without glycoprotein D is unable to
enter cells at all, leaving it incapable of harming living organisms.
Currently we have produced HSV particles and used transmission electron
microscopy to confirm that they are intact and devoid of other
contaminating viruses. The absence of contaminating viruses was further
proven by PCR testing.
We have added layers of safety-switches in order to make our live
attenuated Herpes virus the safest “living” Herpes virus to date.
Previous studies have shown that in the production process, self rescuant viruses can arise and
become wild-type. While research groups have used two different safety switches individually,
we combine at least 4 different layers that guarantee that no infectious virus can arise.