KUALA LUMPUR: Sentinext Therapeutics Sdn Bhd is actively developing a vaccine to combat the EV71 virus which causes Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD), a common illness afflicting infants and children.
Prof Jane Cardosa
HFMD virus would cause affected children to develop blister-like eruptions in the mouth apart from skin rashes.
Children who contract HFMD from the EV71 virus face a higher risk of developing severe neurological disease which can cause death.
“In the US and Europe, HFMD is relatively harmless. But the outbreaks in Asia from 1997 onwards were different. Some cases caused by EV71 showed rapid decline and few cases of death.
“There is a need for an effective way to identify and respond to the virus”, Zarifah Hussain Reed, assistant director of Clinical Research at the Regional Emerging Diseases Intervention Centre based in Singapore, told Bernama.
The development of an EV71 vaccine is among Sentinext’s efforts to develop safe and effective solutions against the virus.
To some it may look ambitious, but Sentinext believes that with support and funding, the mission is achievable.
Sentinext Theurapeutics was established by Peter Wulff and Professor Jane Cardosa in 2009, with the aim of developing novel vaccines and therapeutics for infectious tropical disease.
Malaria, dengue
According to Wulff, who is the chief executive officer (CEO) of Sentinext, the development of solutions for infectious diseases such as malaria, dengue and HFMD has been woefully inadequate despite the fact that these diseases affect billions of the world’s population particularly the poor.
“There was just not enough financial incentive for pharmaceutical and biotech companies to come in,” he said.
The state of neglect is, however, changing gradually with international agencies and philanthropic organisations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation making funding for infectious tropical diseases a priority, awakening interest from Western healthcare companies.
“It is good to have more interest in the US and Europe. But we should also take it upon ourselves to leverage these organisations and develop solutions especially for diseases prevalent in our region”, said Prof Cardosa, chief scientific officer of Sentinext.
Prof Cardosa has been working on infectious tropical diseases for more than 25 years.
Sentinext’s presence in Malaysia underlines the fact that to develop vaccines and therapeutics for infectious tropical diseases, it is important to build the company within the endemic region.
Western countries may have the technology platforms but most of the disease specialists are here in Asia.
The key is striking the right East-West partnership.
PARTNERSHIP
For Wulff and Prof Cardosa, Sentinext is such a partnership.
“In healthcare especially, the research work of Malaysian scientists can be developed much more effectively by partnering with the commercialisation experience of the US or Europe”, Wulff asserted.
Most conventional vaccines comprise weakened or inactivated viruses aimed at triggering the production of antibodies by the body’s immune system.
The safety of such vaccines has come into question in recent years.
Sentinext is eschewing conventional methods in favour of the more demanding approach of constructing virus-like particles (VLPs).
“It is scientifically more complex but will result in a safer vaccine”, Prof Cardosa said.
Based on in-depth knowledge of the genetic sequence of the virus, Sentinext is constructing ‘look-alike’ particles which mimic the shape of the real virus.
These VLPs will trigger the production of the same types of antibodies required to fight the virus in the case of infection.
“Compared to older methods, this avoids introducing the real virus into the body which could cause side effects. However, it’s technically very challenging. Engineering the VLP requires not just good science but out-of-the-box conceptualisation as well as rigorous lab technique. It takes deep knowledge, creativity and thoroughness”, added Wulff.
Initial experiments
The company has just completed the making of its first EV71 vaccine candidate and initial experiments have shown good immune response to the VLP.
To prove safety and efficacy, the vaccine candidate must go to preclinical animal studies and subsequently human clinical trials.
Sentinext’s investors see the work thus far as extremely encouraging.
“Progress in the lab has been very positive. We are not merely manufacturing a vaccine but creating a vaccine where there was none before. It’s a huge difference and we’re excited to see the early results”, says Norhalim Yunus, CEO of Malaysian Technology Development Corporation (MTDC), an investor in Sentinext.
Apart from EV71, Sentinext also plans to start programmes addressing malaria and Japanese Encephalitis.
Sentinext aims to develop a strong pipeline of vaccine or therapeutic candidates that can then be licensed by or developed in partnership with the pharmaceutical giants.
“The success of companies like Sentinext is not only important for the Malaysian biotech landscape but also for Malaysian science.
“The global commercialisation of a Malaysian-designed vaccine would capture the true spirit of Vision 2020 and the New Economic Model”, added Norhalim. — Bernama