BioCentury
ARTICLE | Emerging Company Profile

Wittycell: Outwitting the immune response

April 23, 2007 7:00 AM UTC

As vaccines become more targeted with regard to the antigens they use and more varied in the range of diseases they address, new adjuvants that can boost the immune response against a chosen antigen are becoming more important. Wittycell S.A.S. is developing adjuvants that stimulate natural killer T cells that the company says can be optimized for a partner's vaccine.

"The whole industry is waiting for an adjuvant with good activity at cytotoxic T cells and no side effects," said co-founder and CEO Vincent Serra. Many prophylactic vaccines have been blocked for years because they have been unable to improve the cytotoxic responses of T cells to their antigens, he said. ...