HOOKIPA’s Gilead Sciences Collaboration for HIV and HBV Therapeutic Vaccines Advancing Towards Clinical Entry

NEW YORK and VIENNA, Austria, Jan. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HOOKIPA Pharma Inc. (NASDAQ: HOOK, ‘HOOKIPA’), a company developing a new class of immunotherapeutics targeting infectious diseases and cancers based on its proprietary arenavirus platform, today announced that HOOKIPA has made strong progress in its collaboration with Gilead for novel arenavirus-based therapeutics intended to support functional cures for chronic Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections.

HOOKIPA and Gilead Sciences designed and tested multiple arenaviral vectors expressing HIV and HBV immunogens, optimizing each for potential preclinical immunogenicity, safety and manufacturability. In 2019, HOOKIPA earned multiple Gilead milestone payments for the delivery of research vectors and advancing the programs closer to clinical studies. On the basis of promising preclinical data, Gilead has committed to preparations to advance the HBV and HIV vectors toward development, with the HBV development decision triggering an additional milestone payment to HOOKIPA. To enable the development activities and expanded research programs, Gilead has agreed to reserve manufacturing capacity and expanded the HOOKIPA resources allocated to the Gilead collaboration.

About HOOKIPA

HOOKIPA Pharma Inc. (NASDAQ: HOOK) is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing a new class of immunotherapeutics, targeting infectious diseases and cancers based on its proprietary arenavirus platform that is designed to reprogram the body’s immune system.

HOOKIPA’s proprietary arenavirus-based technologies, VaxWave*, a replication-deficient viral vector, and TheraT*, a replication-attenuated viral vector, are designed to induce robust antigen specific CD8⁺ T cells and pathogen-neutralizing antibodies. Both technologies are designed to allow for repeat administration to augment and refresh immune responses. TheraT has the potential to induce CD8⁺ T cell response levels previously not achieved by other immuno-therapy approaches. HOOKIPA’s “off-the-shelf” viral vectors target dendritic cells in vivo to activate the immune system.

HOOKIPA’s VaxWave-based prophylactic Cytomegalovirus vaccine candidate is currently in a Phase 2 clinical trial in patients awaiting kidney transplantation from living Cytomegalovirus-positive donors. To expand its infectious disease portfolio, HOOKIPA has entered into a collaboration and licensing agreement with Gilead Sciences, Inc. to jointly research and develop functional cures for HIV and Hepatitis B infections.