BioCentury
ARTICLE | Emerging Company Profile

Hookipa: Next wave vector

Hookipa's Vaxwave vaccine vectors to avoid adjuvants, boosters

April 1, 2013 7:00 AM UTC

Hookipa Biotech AG is using its Vaxwave technology to discover and develop viral vectors designed to elicit B cell and CD8+ T cell immune responses without concurrent induction of antibodies that block vector re-administration.

A number of companies have developed vaccine vectors based on viruses, but the method has several challenges, including high seroprevalence rates of the viruses from which the vectors are derived and vector-specific antibody immunity. The former can interfere with the efficacy of the initial vaccine administration while the latter can prevent effective boosting...