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Clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, IMV Inc. of Dartmouth announced on Wednesday that it is advancing the clinical development of a DPX-based vaccine candidate against the COVID-19 virus.

Although IMV has been focused on developing cancer fighting immunotherapy using its proprietary drug delivery platform, DPX, IMV vice-president of research and development Marianne Stanford said in an interview the company has in the past used its DPX platform technology against infectious disease.

IMV, which emerged from Dalhousie University 20 years ago, developed the proprietary “lipid-based” delivery platform, which has a unique “no release” mechanism.

Most vaccines once injected is distributed throughout the body, Stanford explained, but the DPX system stays near the injection site and allows the antigen-presenting cells to be attracted to it, which facilitates a robust and sustained immune response within lymph nodes. Antigen-presenting cells are a group of immune cells that mediate the immune response of the cells by processing and presenting antigens for recognition by T-cells.

The goal of this development program will be to establish the clinical safety and the ability of the antigen to provoke an immune response, IMV stated in a news release.

A vaccine candidate based on the company’s DPX delivery technology and incorporating peptides targeting novel epitopes from the coronavirus strain. Novel epitopes are the part of an antigen molecule to which an antibody attaches itself.

Stanford said the company believes that the peptide-based approach, combined with the DPX platform, offers the potential for accelerated development and rapid, large-scale production of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Marianne Stanford, vice-president of research and development, is part of a team at IMV Inc. in Dartmouth, trying to find a vaccine to fight COVID-19.

In the news release, IMV indicated it intends to develop its vaccine candidate DPX-COVID-19 in collaboration with lead investigators for the phase one clinical study: Dr. Joanne Langley and Dr. Scott Halperin of the Canadian Center for Vaccinology at Dalhousie University, the Izaak Walton Killam Health Center, the Nova Scotia Health Authority, the Canadian Immunization Research Network (CIRN), Gary Kobinger, director of the Research Centre on Infectious Diseases at the University Laval, Quebec City and Global Urgent and Advanced Research and Development (GUARD) in Canada.

Stanford said IMV is very fortunate to have such highly regarded people to work with. The investigators will assist with preclinical and clinical evaluation and with further development strategy in collaboration with the Canadian government and others.

“We’re trying to do two things at once,” she said. “We’re trying to develop a vaccine and at the same time follow the public health guidelines, such as distancing and keeping ourselves healthy.”

During its development IMV operated for a time from two centres, Stanford said, which meant its technology is well developed for working remotely. “So, we are fairly nimble.”

While the work on the COVID-19 vaccine is exciting and could lead to increased attention for IMV, Stanford said it probably won’t mean the company will require more scientists to work on the project. “We are well stocked in the brain department,” she said.

While declining to give a deadline for finding a COVID-19 vaccine, Stanford said finding an answer will depend on the level of demand and whether that shifts to an “all bets are off situation” in which authorities are willing to forego certain restrictions.

IMV is not the only company trying to find a vaccine, Stanford said. “There was a vaccine that initiated trial this week.”

There is lots of opportunity for a company like IMV, and there is also plenty of incentive to have a made-in-Canada vaccine. Stanford said she is confident that IMV can clinically demonstrate its DPX platform will provide a stronger and more focused response against the virus.