Organizations will co-develop IDRI’s recombinant multi-antigen fusion protein ID93/GLA-SE.

Nonprofit organizations Aeres and the Infectious Disease Research Institute (IDRI) are teaming up to develop the latter’s tuberculosis vaccine candidate, which is projected to start in clinical trials this year. The vaccine, ID93/GLA-SE, targets both active tuberculosis and latent disease, IDRI claims. The organization anticipates the vaccine could be used both for prophylactic with or without BCG vaccination, or therapeutically in combination with anti-tuberculosis drugs to combat active infection.

ID93/GLA-SE is a recombinant fusion polyprotein comprising key virulence- and latency-associated Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens linked to IDRI’s Glucopyranosyl Lipid A stable emulsion (GLA-SE) adjuvant. GLA-SE is a Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) agonist formulated in an oil-in-water emulsion, which is essentially a synthetic analog of GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals’ Monophosphoryl Lipid A adjuvant, the organizations state. GLA-SE has been evaluated in humans, but not for a tuberculosis vaccine. The M. tuberculosis antigens incorporated in the vaccine include Rv2608, Rv3619, Rv3620, and Rv1813. Preclinical studies with ID93/GLA-SE have been carried out with funding from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and demonstrated that the vaccine provided significant protection against M. tuberculosis either with or without previous priming with BCG.

Aeres is dedicated to the development of vaccines and biologics against TB, and has developed or is supporting the development of six TB vaccine candidates. Five of these are undergoing Phase I or II studies. IDRI is focused on the development of products to prevent, diagnose, and treat infectious diseases of poverty. The organization’s TB program is centered on the development of prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines, rapid diagnostics, and antibiotics against drug-resistant strains.

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